It’s easy to see why project management has become such a sought-after career path. The field scores high on just about every metric. It is challenging with bright prospects and hefty take-home pay. Not to mention, it provides personal satisfaction, exposure to diverse work scenarios, and the opportunity to travel globally. But project management is not easy. To make an impact in the competitive landscape requires business acumen, excellent communication skills, and tactical expertise.
Read on for 10 things that every technical project manager should be aware of to deliver a positive outcome.
- Leadership: A project manager must have strong leadership traits as it is a critical success factor. Besides setting the tone of the project, supervising and coordinating tasks, a good leader can energise, inspire and motivate the group to deliver their very best.
- Active Listener: One of the most important project manager skills is listening. No matter how organised you are, for success, you have to be an active listener. Apart from learning about the goings-on at the frontlines, listening to the team’s ideas and implementing them empowers the workforce. More importantly, it helps co-workers feel valued and generates better synergy.
- Effective Communication: Clear communication is vital for executing an effective project management plan. A good project manager should have the ability to communicate comfortably at all levels (team, vendors, clients, internal stakeholders) about strategies, goals, issues, feedback, etc. This can be accomplished on a one-to-one basis or via file sharing, group meetings, reporting tools, presentations, and more.
- Delegate Work: Planning the overall structure of the venture and delegating work are essential to project management steps. Tasks must be assigned to team members as per their strengths alongside clearly stated goals, performance standards, and deadlines. Delegating helps in maximising productivity by fostering freedom and building a trust element.
- Good Negotiation Skills: Negotiations are an integral part of project management. Handling the demands of stakeholders diplomatically can go a long way in achieving a positive outcome. Also, negotiation skills are essential to maintain harmony within the team and resolve interpersonal conflicts that can derail the project.
- Strong Decision Maker: A wrong decision can jeopardise the whole project management process. The project manager should be able to weigh all the options quickly and take decisive action when a problem arises. A clear-thinking project manager is valued highly by businesses.
- Organisational Abilities: To ensure everything is streamlined, project managers must be well-organised. Besides providing a clear vision of the venture, it helps focus, multitask, delegate responsibilities, evaluate performances, follow processes and keep records for future reference.
- Shrewd Time Management: Given the numerous tasks that have to be accomplished, staying on track and meeting deadlines can be a big challenge. A project manager must embrace smart strategies and create a realistic schedule to ensure the project is completed within the decided timeframe.
- Tech-Savvy: Technology is an important component of the PMO. That’s why a project manager needs to continuously learn and stay abreast of the latest software and technological trends. A tech-savvy person can help enhance the productivity and output of the project by keeping the team on the cutting edge.
- All-Around Package: A great project manager is an all-around package. Besides being a collaborator and strategic thinker with people’s skills, he should be knowledgeable about all facets of the project, be it tech, creation, administration, or finance.
Key Takeaway
In a nutshell, a project manager must be armed with the above traits to execute a project from start to finish with utmost efficiency. If you are aspiring to pursue this career path, enrolling for a distance project management course at NMIMS Global can surely help. The 6-month certificate program features excellent resources, methodologies, techniques, and concepts to sharpen skills for the smooth manoeuvring of any kind of project.
