Answer is with statement "Project Managers should be proactive and not reactive!". Project manager has the ultimate responsibility for the failure or success of project. To answer the original question, certainly project manager should apologize for the failure to meet the target. There is nothing wrong in accepting the failure and inherent responsibility. However important thing is to analyze the reason of failure and make everyone aware about the facts including the other managers, who were influencing the resources responsible for failure. It is not about directing the blame to those managers, but to make everyone aware that what was the reason of failure; so that these can be avoided further. Stakeholders should be aware about the reasons so that they can direct the team members to take corrective action. Other managers may not be having all knowledge to understand the effect of his management, so sharing the facts is always important.
Important thing is that main responsibility lies with Project Manager role is to make the project a successful venture. So one should always ask himself, that, "What is Good for Project". This is like a Panacea in any situation. It will give him right answer for every difficult situation, will keep him away from politics and will enable him to be proactive.
Further, being proactive is important for management. If project manager is aware that some part of the project is not going well, she should inform all concerned stakeholder about the situation, possible effects and various solutions. Project Manager should be very clear that she is responsible for success or failure of project. So she should have absolute control over the resources, their schedule and their performance. She should be proactive to ask for the control, if it is required for the project success. If this kind of control is not there due to a specific management style in Organization, then the control flow and hence the responsibilities should be defined clearly accordingly; and Project Manager should communicate every deviation from desired path to the concerned stakeholders with possible solutions
Important thing is that main responsibility lies with Project Manager role is to make the project a successful venture. So one should always ask himself, that, "What is Good for Project". This is like a Panacea in any situation. It will give him right answer for every difficult situation, will keep him away from politics and will enable him to be proactive.
Further, being proactive is important for management. If project manager is aware that some part of the project is not going well, she should inform all concerned stakeholder about the situation, possible effects and various solutions. Project Manager should be very clear that she is responsible for success or failure of project. So she should have absolute control over the resources, their schedule and their performance. She should be proactive to ask for the control, if it is required for the project success. If this kind of control is not there due to a specific management style in Organization, then the control flow and hence the responsibilities should be defined clearly accordingly; and Project Manager should communicate every deviation from desired path to the concerned stakeholders with possible solutions
