Four Essential Skills for Successful Project Managers

Project Management (PM) is a demanding role that requires specific skills and knowledge. A good PM goes beyond having solid project management abilities, communication, and organizational and collaborative skills. They also need to understand the reason behind what a team is trying to accomplish and grasp its dynamics well.

Finding a good PM can be challenging for any business because they are critical to the delivery of a successful project. This post is for you if you are looking for a good PM, have recently taken up the role as a PM, or are thinking about becoming a PM. Read on to learn more about differentiating qualities to have and look for in a PM and how they can make a difference in any project.

What Sets a Good PM Apart From Others in the Field?

Communication

The role of a project manager is like that of a coxswain in rowing. For those unfamiliar with a coxswain, this person navigates, steers, and motivates teammates during regattas. They are not involved in the physical act of rowing, but their role is crucial to the race’s outcome. Like a coxswain, a project manager is not engaged in the actual work of the project, but they play a critical role in the success or failure of it. 

As a coxswain is responsible for talking with their rowers and figuring out what they want/need to hear during the race, a good project manager must have open conversations with stakeholders to fully understand the business purpose of what the team is trying to accomplish.

During the planning process, a good project manager asks the right questions and helps stakeholders clearly outline their expectations, set realistic goals, and define metrics by which progress will be measured. Similarly, a coxswain would ask their rowers to ensure they are on the same page and that the rowers know what they need to do during a race.

Communicating progress, changes, or updates openly and consistently with their team and stakeholders helps build trust. It can also set a good PM apart from others as reliable and someone who can deliver on time even during challenging times during the project.

When a PM communicates well, it becomes easier for team members to understand and complete their tasks on time, reducing delays and decreasing project costs–saving your project from failure in many ways. 

Collaboration

Project managers need to be able to work with a team and use their mastery of handling issues in the most effective ways. When working as a team, it is essential not to lose sight of the fact that disagreements and conflicts will arise. The PM, as a leader of the project, needs to be able to step in and ensure all teammates are moving toward the same goal.

Understands Team Members and Stakeholders

PMs know their team members’ strengths, weaknesses, and experience levels. Understanding how each team member works best and learning to use their strengths to benefit the project is also helpful. Most importantly, they seek to understand their stakeholders’ needs and expectations and work towards meeting those.

When they know their team members and stakeholders well, it becomes easier for team members to work together and achieve results. In addition, the project team will feel more comfortable working together and be more likely to use each other’s strengths to benefit the project when they know each other.

Ability to Manage Risk

Risk management is essential to any project, and a PM’s function depends on it. A good PM understands that to manage risk, you provide the proper team members with the right tasks, and when you make use of their skills for the project’s benefit.

They can recognize any possible problems or dangers before they arise and know when to act as a risk taker and when to play it safe. They can take calculated risks and manage the level of risk associated with each task to avoid project failures.

Spotting issues before they become serious problems is not a skill all PMs possess. However, knowing when to use the strengths of their team members to benefit the project and identify and fix issues early on is a sign of a good PM. 

Final Thoughts

When it comes to project management, a good project manager can save your project from failure in so many ways. They don’t only need to have strong abilities in project management, excellent knowledge of communication channels, and dispute resolution. They must also be observant, detail-oriented, analytical, organized, and collaborative. Additionally, PMs should be competent, able to stay calm under pressure, have a vision of where the team is headed, and be able to articulate it.

In rowing, a coxswain must lead their team to accomplish the goal of winning a race. Likewise, a PM must lead their project team to achieve the goals set forth for the project, making their role crucial to clearing the best path to get there. 

Our team has extensive experience managing complex, large-scale projects. If you’re planning an implementation project and are looking for a partner to guide you through these crucial steps, reach out to us here.