8 Essential Project Management Skills
Projects come in all sizes and flavors, from the design and construction of a world-class, multi-million-dollar educational facility to planning your organization’s annual holiday party.
Successful projects all start with a talented project manager armed with eight essential project management skills.
1. Big Picture Planning Skills
It is helpful to be able to envision the final product and desired outcome to work backward to develop an effective strategy to get there. Before diving into a project, make sure you understand the stakeholders’ desired results, pain points, worries, and needs.
2. Team Empowerment
While a few small projects may involve only one person, most projects include engaging and empowering a team of multiple individuals to assume roles within the project. Your team may consist of not only members of your organization but also a client’s team, the community, vendors, etc. Project success happens when your team is a well-oiled machine. To accomplish this, allow your team latitude to make decisions, keep them informed, provide feedback, and offer praise.
3. Clear Communication
If I select one skill that I believe plays the most significant role in a successfully managed project, it is clear, effective, and frequent communication among the key players.
The project manager needs to be at the center of all communication, which includes face-to-face meetings, phone calls, emails, and other written correspondence. Regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the project’s moving parts and check-ins as the project moves along are vital to success.
4. Schedule and Budget Oversight
A project can’t be successful without meeting the schedule or budget. Keep a constant watch over these two parameters and notify all parties immediately when they are making choices that could alter the schedule or budget.
5. Risk Management
Every decision you make on a complex project increases or decreases the level of project risk. If the project has a contract or agreement, know the terms well, so you do not inadvertently expose yourself or organization to an error or omission.
6. Negotiation
Many aspects of a project require negotiation. I t could be the agreement, what services the budget includes, the best way to accomplish a goal, etc. Being an effective project manager involves being able to present options, offer your thoughts for the best method to proceed, and keeping all the players on track. Staying humble, eyes and ears open, and weighing differing opinions promptly can do a great deal to defuse tense negotiating situations.
7. Trouble-Shooting
Issues will arise that need addressing and cause emotions to flare. A project manager needs to feel comfortable navigating around moving variables and, as situations arise, be able to address them promptly and openly. When the first bump in the road occurs, start by asking, “why does this upset you,” “what did you expect to see,” or “would doing x correct the situation?” I like to remind myself during the most harried situation, that prompt and effective trouble-shooting can be an opportunity to demonstrate how you operate under pressure and forge an even deeper relationship with the client than if everything proceeded smoothly.
8. Documentation
While it may feel cumbersome, documenting the stakeholders’ budget, schedule, project goals, project scope, and decisions reached are critical for project success. The documentation also serves as a great way to gently remind all the players of the agreed-upon path when someone starts going astray.
Project managers become great over time as their mettle is tested, and they handle large and more complex assignments. Keeping these eight attributes in mind will help your next project run smoother.
