11 Essential Skills for a Successful Project Manager
The project manager is the epicenter for the execution and communications involved in a project. A vital element for project completion, the project manager is the lead decision maker. They are responsible for organizing the course of the task, managing a team to ensure that the key goals are achieved and most importantly, that the client is happy.
So, what does it take to be a successful project manager?
Top 11 Skills of a Project Manager
The following attributes are of the top skills an efficient PM should embody:
Communication – Expressing thoughts and ideas clearly to clients or team members, as well as addressing problems if they arise.
Leadership – Guiding the team to victory, providing positivity to uplift but enough strictness to keep the everyone on track towards completion.
Organization – Coordination between the client and the team, while always having awareness of critical deadlines and upholding the project objective.
Negotiation – Employing effective negotiation skills throughout communication with the client and team members. Being able to manage the project scopes, budgets, and schedules are critical for a successful completion.
Side note: “Getting to Yes” by Fisher and Ury is an excellent read to learn how to unnoticeably yet effectively combat various, interpersonal conflicts that we commonly experience everyday (even in the workplace).
Risk Management – Anticipating potential downfalls or setbacks prior to initiating a project, communicating issues to the client and team, and providing solutions to deliver the project successfully.
Time Management – Allotting the appropriate amount of time for specific tasks that fall within the designated time-frame; remaining on-task to the deadline but also ensuring the utmost quality.
Quality Management – Overseeing and reviewing projects to ensure that the criteria is achieved.
Detail Oriented – Ability to keep track of and implement key ideas desired by the client, develop a plan, manage costs, and everything else in between.
Objective – To be aware of and able to remain focused on the task at hand, avoiding as well as managing scope-creep (gradually expanding the scope of the project beyond the initial agreement) from the client.
Positive – Can remain calm and optimistic throughout the course of a project, keeping the client satisfied and the team’s morale high.
Personal – Works closely with clients to understand their company culture and ensure that their goals can be achieved, serving as a main point of contact whenever needed.
Looking for more help?
At Brave River Solutions, our project managers are trained experts. They are available to stand by you as a personal contact throughout the duration of your project. Our PMs employ a personalized approach for each client, dependent on their needs.
Peeked your interest? We’d love to hear from you; give us a call at 401-828-6611, or fill out the on-page contact form at https://www.braveriver.com.