I was discussing with a colleague the other day how tough it is to find really great government proposal managers. By great I mean proposal managers who can pull off a real feat: lead proposal teams to spectacular wins, while doing it in style. They don’t only manage the proposal process, but also make sure that the actual content of the proposal, including the solution, is of a winning quality. They also lead in a way that makes it less stressful on the team and more fun.
I started thinking – what specific skills make those proposal managers great? And I started making a list that went on and on. As I continued, it became increasingly clearer why it’s tough. I thought I’d share this list with you. You may find it useful for staffing purposes or even professional growth purposes – and please, let me know if I missed something really important.
So, here are the attributes of a great government proposal manager (in no particular order – this is a stream of consciousness):
