We are all trying to find the secret to success when running an application development team the secret is the planning to obtain the right skill sets for the team. I have always considered the project manager to be part of a project team even now more when you use agile frameworks. In agile frameworks the ScrumMaster/project manager is the first player selected for the team, he or she is involved in the early planning stages of a project. Many companies big and small appoint a project manager after the project begins and the project team is in place, try to pick the PM first before you progress too far.
As a ScrumMaster/project manager, you must have inherent, universal competencies; traits that increase their ability to manage projects. Competencies are also related to specific projects as well as different development frameworks. In older development methodologies like waterfall, many organizational decision-makers believed that the most qualified person to manage a project was a person with technical knowledge about the product, service, or technology. This no longer is a viable approach given the demands on organizations for speed and the varying frameworks that are in use, ScrumMaster/project managers must also have the right skill sets as well as management and interpersonal skills. IT projects were considered proving grounds to learn the finer points of leadership and teamwork, this is no longer a viable approach given the demands, speed and global pressure on organizations. In my experience, I have witnessed a technical person that is given the role as a PM and is often not the best person to manage a project. While these project managers had the technical competency, they lacked competency in the understanding of project management processes and a lack of understanding of their project management role as a leader.
As a technical person, we all have the tendency to gravitate to technical aspects of a project and micro-manage these tasks, at the expense of the rest of the project. Now I know this is a generalization, and in many many cases, individuals from technical disciplines are effective project managers. The KEY to being successful in project management is you must be willing to assimilate many new skills, specifically in planning, control, and leadership.
ScrumMaster/Project Managers Competencies:
1.Leadership.
Project managers must have organizational authority so they can clearly establish authority boundaries.
2.Team Management.
Project managers must show project team members the benefits of working together for a common purpose.
3.Stress Management.
Project managers must be able to cope with pressure and provide project team members with stress relief techniques.
4.Interpersonal Skill.
Project managers must appreciate the differences in people, be a good listener, and mediate conflict to obtain maximum performance.
5.Administrative.
Administrative competencies refer to project managers' abilities to stay on top of the paperwork.
6.Business.
Good business sense and an ability to recognize and comprehend an organizational climate, company policy, and strategy and also be able to think outside of the box to develop creative solutions to problems.