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Project Management Skills Lead
There are four key areas in which project management is similar to politics. They are Communication, Personal organization, Influence, and Problem-solving framework. All four skills are integral to a project manager’s success. Practising these will make you a better leader, manager, or team member. And they will serve you well in your career, personal life, and community. So how do you develop these skills?
Communication
Communication is a key skill in project management, as it can be a source of inefficiency and late projects. A study revealed that 28 per cent of employees blamed poor communication for causing projects to be late. As a manager, it is crucial to learn to effectively communicate your ideas and vision to co-workers and stakeholders, as poor communication can negatively impact productivity, create unclear expectations, and result in missed deadlines. In addition, poor communication is one of the leading causes of project failure, and many project managers struggle with this. To overcome this problem, project managers must practice good communication skills, and learn to build rapport with their co-workers.
One of the hardest project management skills to learn is time management. This skill you will learn during your project Management degree, especially while working on project management dissertation topics or construction project management topics research and further dissertation writing. Managers spend about 1.83 hours a day on productive work, and nearly an equal amount of time doing unproductive work. When this occurs, it becomes difficult to manage the tasks and prioritize them effectively. But with the right skills, good project managers can make the most of this time. This skill will pay off later on in your professional life.
Personal organization
A good project manager will have strong organizational skills. In addition to de-cluttering and utilizing the right tools, good organizational skills will help increase the productivity of the project team. Having strong negotiation skills is also helpful. Managing remote teams requires strong organizational skills. The time spent organizing tasks is often reflected in the amount of work completed. In addition, project managers should be able to organize themselves and their personal lives well.
Influence
In professional life, the ability to manage multiple projects is one of the most important traits. Project management is not only about delivering projects but also supporting people in the process. Good leadership skills are critical for guiding people during times when things do not go according to plan. While it is rewarding to manage a project, the skills needed to lead others to require specific training. Good project leaders have the ability to provide constructive criticism and positive feedback, work within constraints, and adapt to unforeseen changes. Project managers also have to have the ability to avoid getting frustrated during challenges and not absorb team members’ frustrations.
Critical thinking skills are essential for any project manager. While most common projects can be outsourced, unique projects require greater effort and planning. An experienced project manager can assure sponsors that the project is in good hands. Project managers who possess excellent negotiating skills can resolve conflicts among project stakeholders and achieve optimal outcomes. Despite the importance of these skills, however, they must be equipped with the necessary tools and practices to master them.
Problem-solving framework
The problem-solving framework in project management can be useful for a number of reasons. It can be applied to a variety of problems, from financial performance to team processes. While the problem-solving process is often facilitated through group brainstorming, it’s also effective to think of the potential solutions individually. Once you’ve identified a possible solution, the next phase is to analyze the options. Ultimately, you’ll need to choose the best option.
Using a problem-solving framework is useful for all kinds of problems, ranging from daily tasks to large-scale business processes. Problem-solving requires the ability to identify a problem, analyze its complexity, prioritize possible solutions, and measure the effectiveness of the chosen solution. It should be similar to monthly plan reviews, where you search for gaps and determine the underlying cause. This is where creative thinking, decision-making, and teamwork can come into play.
Adaptability
When you have strong adaptability and good project management skills, you’ll be well-positioned to succeed in your career. An adaptive manager has the capacity to identify early warning signs of project success or failure and can quickly adjust to changes in the market. They also continually assess and revise plans based on the team’s experiences. They also keep a pulse on the environment, constantly scanning for new information and trends.
Being flexible is vital for project management. If you’re rigid and unwilling to change, you’re exposing yourself to the risk of project failure. The same goes for project managers who don’t want to adapt to change. To be successful, you need to learn to adapt to new circumstances, understand how to respond to change, and know when it’s beneficial. Adaptability is key to a long and successful professional life.
