Managing a project is not an easy job. The practice of beginning, planning achieving, collaborating, monitoring, reporting and closing the project is not an easy task to do. To successfully manage all your projects, Counterpart solutions has narrowed down some project management skills you need this year.
Leadership
One of the most important project management skills that every project manager needs is leadership. Leadership is hard to describe and it holds a different meaning to different people. When it comes to the leadership model, leaders help to set a direction and help themselves and others to move in the right direction. A survey by McKinsey concludes that most of the companies lack a response to emerging organizational challenges.
In order to take the company’s vision forward, it is significant to have a clear set of opinions, solid stratagems, and a road map to victory. It is the leader who has the ability to motivate people so that the project runs smoothly and efficiently.
Communication
Over the years, we have heard and experienced that communication is one of the main ingredients for success. Demonstrating good communication skills is all about conveying information to the audience in a simple and explicit way. The crux of any relationship with the client and the stakeholders is also a part of the strong communication skills that a project manager has. Effective communication acts as a driving force for the team to achieve better collaboration and better results.
Time Management
As a project manager, the most important part of the job is to determine and communicate how other people will spend their time. But it is equally important that the managers are aware of how they will manage their own time. Time management is all about prioritising the work and understanding the difference between urgent and important work. According to the famous prioritisation matrix mapping by Eisenhower, it was pointed out that, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” Therefore, the time management skill that a project manager needs is ‘doing the right task at the right time’.
Risk Management
There is inherent risk whether planning big or small projects. It is a part of the project manager’s job to capture, track and mitigate issues before they turn into big problems. Therefore, while planning a project, it is important that a lot of work is put into identifying, assessing and controlling the potential risks. The more manageable the risk is, the more manageable the project will be.
Critical Thinking
Good critical thinking skills for project managers help in facilitating more in-depth discussions, resolving issues in a better way, facilitating better solutions, reducing project stress, and producing better results. Critical thinking is all about being as objective as you can in analysing and evaluating the issues or situations so that the judgment is unbiased.
Negotiating
One of the best project management skills is negotiation. If the negotiation skills of a project manager are weak, this can create problems for the project manager. Negotiation holds a special place in the project management skillset because in order to deal with the team members, employees and the clientele, it is important to learn to negotiation well. A good negotiator should always manage expectation.
Conflict Resolution
As a project manager, it is vital to create and maintain peace and harmony amongst the team members. A project that is conducted in a stress-free ambiance will prove to be better for a company. The major responsibility here for the project manager is to resolve the conflict between the employees and not to allow other team members to get drawn in or distracted.
Cost Management
Planning and controlling the overall costs of impending projects and setting up things within a budget is one of the most essential project management skills. Did you know Counterpart Insight provides an accurate budget control to your project management needs? Find out more here.
Subject Matter Expertise
Being a project manager it is important to grow in the business because the digital era is moving so fast and there is always something new that a person can learn. This is why being a subject matter expert in a sector can be useful for both the company and the individual level. A good project manager needs to come up with their own execution plan and manage it properly and lead teams to success. It is valuable to develop subject matter knowledge for the entire project lifecycle in order to understand and work in a better way.
Good Demeanour and Disposition
A project manager doesn’t really need to be a stand-up comedian, but having a good sense of humour is not a bad thing. A good demeanour is one of the most essential project management skills that a project manager can have. This is because having a pleasant character and sense of humour is about having a different perspective on life. It allows a person to see problems differently and it also helps in relieving stressful work-related issues. It can also set and influence workplace culture.
In a world going digital, having the right skills is not just enough for a project manager or the organisation. Luckily, Counterpart Solutions provide a tool for the project managers and the project officers which will help manage the task, budgeting the project, and so much more. Have a look at our project management software here.
