You might be surprised to hear that the BEST project managers in the Salesforce ecosystem have a skillset that extends beyond being able to track your project’s budget, timelines and scope. At Thunder, we are talking about that intangible “IT” factor. What exactly does that mean?

We are truly describing UNICORNS! Extraordinary PM’s are: 

1. Exceptional Communicators. Project Managers must be able to successfully communicate with all levels of an organization (from developers to C-suite executives). 
2. Able to Translate. PM’s could find themselves in situations where they need to be able to convert (translate) technical jargon into common vernacular (depending on the audience). This is often expected at a moment’s notice, with no prep! 
3. Able to Lead and Mobilize Teams. Being both the cheerleader and the drill sergeant. Project Managers often work to drive team building and camaraderie. But, at times in a project, you might find that they need to enforce deadlines and team commitments (in a stricker manner). 
4. Unparalleled Organizational Powers. PMs need to be able to track multiple workstreams, tasks, activities, action items, risks, issues, and the list goes on and on. Makes you wonder how they keep it all straight! 
5. Able to See Into The Future. No, I do not mean that PMs have the ability to know what the next winning lottery ticket is! What I mean is that PM’s have foresight – the ability to anticipate risks and issues before they come to fruition. These PM’s have mitigation plans prepared in the event that these risks and issues arise. 
6. Problem Solvers. A majority of a PM’s day is spent on removing impediments for their team members and being able to put the right people together to fix issues. Using that right brain to drive reasoning, and creative problem solving!
7. Humble. You might find that PM’s are not interested in being the SUPERSTAR on a project team – often giving up the limelight to other team members. It is not uncommon for a Project Manager to fade into the background of a project team, as their role is most successful when everyone else has also succeeded. 
8. Culture Warriors. At Thunder, we find that Culture & Project Management share some interesting parallels. It is not uncommon for our organization’s Project Managers to also be heavily involved in our culture initiatives. 
9. Fun! Let’s be honest, if you aren’t having fun, then it would feel too much like work!
10. A MUST HAVE ON EVERY PROJECT (OR ENGAGEMENT). At Thunder, we believe that Project Managers are needed on every project – no matter the size. We are strong believers that Project Management is a key pillar to our delivery methodology. When speaking with our partners and customers, we know that it can be difficult to attach metrics and KPIs to the Project Management practice. It might seem like a steep organizational investment. However, we implore you to consider what is the organizational cost if a project goes “red”? The cost of project rescue and recovery far exceeds the cost of ensuring a project manager is present from the beginning. 

At Thunder, we ensure that exceptional project managers are always a part of your Thunder team, because we believe to our core that project management is essential for project success!  What can we say, we trust in our team’s mythical powers.