This is my special sign for “I just delegated another 7 tasks to you.” Congrats!
Many companies and industries employ project managers to plan, organize, and manage the resources for a specified task or project. A project manager’s job is to systematically focus on the objectives of the given project, determine what it will take to achieve them, and then execute the project according to the plan and budget. The best project managers possess several required skills that help them do their jobs effectively.
People Skills: Communication
If you can’t talk to people you’ll never be a great project manager. The project isn’t just a plan or schedule – it’s people and companies you have to work with to get the job done. You have to be able to write clearly, speak and listen well, and give effective presentations to provide your team the information they need to do their jobs. Sharing know-how, talking through ideas, presenting solutions and making decisions are all important communication skills.
People Skills: Teamwork
Being a good team leader and team player are essential skills of any project manager. Leading a team is central to the job, and being a good team player will earn you goodwill among your co-workers. You have ultimate decision-making responsibility, but gaining input from your team and working with them to help them reach their goals are important attributes of a good project manager. You want your team to feel invested in the success of the project, so you should strive to be a supportive and inspirational leader.
Analytical Skills: Organization
The number one thing a project manager needs to be is organized. Making sure you can find information when you need it and keeping all the moving parts moving are essential elements of managing projects effectively. If you’re really organized, then you can manage multiple projects at once, which makes you even more valuable to your company.
Analytical Skills: Budgeting
A less inspiring, but still essential, skill is budgeting. You will need to know how to plan a project budget, write it up and keep it monitored. Even if you have an accounting department to oversee the project’s finances, the project is ultimately your responsibility, so you should know how the budget operates.
Analytical Skills: Time management
No, no, no. Not THAT kind of time management, silly bean.
Projects are all about time. You need to understand the life cycle of a project, which includes analyzing how long certain jobs will take and whether time is being allocated correctly and with the greatest efficiency. Delegation is a big part of time management. You want to ensure your time is being used in the most effective manner. As the project manager, your primary purpose is to do strategic planning, overseeing and solving problems. Be a good delegator, not a micro-manager.
Analytical Skills: Analysis
It is important to be able to analyze the impact of the changes engendered by the project and whether it has achieved the goals you set out to accomplish. Because specs can change throughout the course of a project, continual analysis is necessary to keep things on track. If a project is big and complex, this is where project management software might help the analysis and decision-making process stay streamlined and organized.
Skills, Skills, and More Skills
A truly remarkable project manager will be required to have the right people and analytical skills to get the job done. Successful completion is almost guaranteed through proper use of communication, teamwork, organization, budgeting, time management, and analysis. Whether you’re looking at becoming a project manager or honing your craft, get a better understanding of yourself with these tools and achieve that next level of performance.