Here are six essential skills for every project manager:
1. Time management
As a project manager, you might oversee several projects and teams simultaneously. You need to know how to prioritize effectively and how to make the best use of your time and everyone else’s. Strong time management skills will allow you to juggle multiple deadlines without letting anything slip through the cracks.
2. Team development
To achieve positive results, you need to put your team members in a position to be successful. Good project managers understand the roles of each team member and know how to leverage each individual’s strengths to promote team success. They also know how to allocate resources so that work is distributed fairly among team members and everyone has the tools they need to do their best work.
3. Problem-solving
A skilled project manager is not afraid to think outside the box. They might not be producing the work themselves, but they can always share ideas and help energize the team in developing a new approach to an old problem. When issues or roadblocks arise, they are able to stay calm and help the team work towards a solution.
4. Communication
To be effective in their role, project managers must understand how to communicate and motivate others. This means regularly checking in with team members and talking openly about any delays or challenges. They also might be in charge of relaying information to key internal or external stakeholders, such as a client or senior team member. Expert communication skills can help you maintain a positive, productive and collaborative team environment.
5. Attention to detail
The devil is in the details! Project managers are responsible for ensuring that the final deliverable is completed on time and on budget. They need to be extremely detail-oriented when it comes to timelines, budgets and planning, as mistakes can quickly throw a project off track.
6. Critical thinking
A good project manager is able to foresee potential obstacles before they arise and can even help identify opportunities for growth and change. Critical thinking skills can help you learn to anticipate team needs and uncover ways to make processes more efficient so that everyone can focus on the task at hand.
