What Skills Should a Great Project Manager Possess
When you are looking for a project manager, the first thing you should look out for is the skills they possess. When you are also looking to become a project manager, there are skills you must have. This article will be a great guide in helping you learn as much as you can about the skills a great manager should possess.
There are several skills that a great manager should possess; leadership, negotiation skills, risk management, organization, budget management, adaptability, and collaboration. Keep reading for finer details.
Read on to learn more about the mistakes you should avoid in project management.
What Skills Should a Great Project Manager Possess
A project manager needs skills to complete projects on time and within budget. With excellent skills, a project manager can also bring the best out of their team by motivating and leading them from the front. These skills will come in handy when things get scary and the going gets tough. When a project experiences challenges, a project manager should rise to the occasion and ensure everything reverts to normal. Hiring a project manager is the best thing you can do for your project.
What are the responsibilities of a project manager?
A project manager is tasked with creating a team that can work autonomously. They ensure every aspect of a project is implemented and also put measures to mitigate risks. The chart below shows the duties of a project manager.
What are the skills a good project manager should possess?
1. Leadership
Strong leadership skills are critical for a successful project. A project manager must have the ability to lead a team without fear or favor. You can motivate and guide your team to breed good working relationships. Teams are also more productive when their leader recognizes their contributions. You can mentor and coach your team by teaching them how to set goals, delegate tasks, and assess individual and team performance-This way, you'll realize the project's success as a team, and you also get to hone your leadership skills.
2. Negotiation Skills
A project manager should possess negotiation skills that come into play when two parties are involved. You should be able to negotiate a price from a supplier or your stakeholder's expectations. Unexpected disasters may hit a project, and as a project manager, you should be able to negotiate for an extension of a deadline. You should also have the ability to hold negotiations between your teams and have all parties work towards a common goal.
3. Risk Management
Any project is liable to unforeseen risks. A great project manager forecasts potential threats and plans for them before they happen. Putting the proper measures in place ensures the risk does not affect the project when it happens. Risks can derail the project if they get the project managers are unprepared.
4. Organization
Project managers must have good organizational skills. You must be able to organize the proper execution of tasks, when particular schedules should start and end, and how to use various resources. Good organizational skills help keep track of all the processes without much strain.
5. Budget management
Project managers formulate budgets and oversee them throughout the project. They should be able to identify areas that need a supplementary budget, those whose costs are being overrun, and what measures should be undertaken to control the costs. Project managers should also be able to work on limited budgets and improvise ways to ensure the completion of all tasks within the same budget.
6. Adaptability
Project managers must adapt effortlessly to the changes in the environment. They should comfortably adapt to new technology, user demographics, and upcoming product trends. This will ensure that the project does not stall or delay because the project manager is flexible and can quickly adapt to any changing circumstances.
7. Collaboration
Every project manager should be able to coordinate teams to achieve the project's goals quickly. Coordinating across groups helps you gain insights into your project that you wouldn't find within your team. Involving more minds in work provides creativity and sound development of the project.
What Are The Mistakes You Should Avoid In Project Management
Organizations sometimes initiate multiple projects simultaneously. Running several projects simultaneously can lead to mismanagement and derailing some or all of the projects. Even the most budgeted projects encounter problems because of mistakes made by the project management team. Errors can cause delays, missed deadlines, and even a total shutdown of the entire project.
Mistakes you should avoid in project management
1. Hiring The Wrong Project Manager
Many businesses focus on getting the necessary resources to run a project but allocate little or no time to find a good project manager. The success of a project goes hand in hand with a qualified and experienced project manager. Employing a project manager based on availability is risky and can lead to the project's failure. Hiring an experienced project manager with the right qualities is best for the job.
2. Unclear Objectives
For a project to be successful, goals and objectives should be clearly defined at the onset. Most organizations make the mistake of not carefully planning for the project and failing to set clear goals and objectives. A clear project scope outlines the resources to be used, the project management style, and the duration of time expected to complete the project. Planning for the whole project should involve the entire team since they possess the knowledge and skills. Bringing the team together is critical in making future decisions regarding the project.
3. Poor Project Scheduling
The lack of a proper schedule is another grave mistake in project management. Scheduling helps keep the project on course to complete it on time. Project managers should implement a program and execute tasks in chronological order. They should also ensure all participants in the project are aware of the schedule. This ensures all the stakeholders know of any changes that may occur during the project, affecting the plan.
4. Failure To Breakup Projects Into Smaller Chunks
Undertaking a project without breaking it into manageable tasks can lead to many delays as it would need a lot of time to identify a problem. Breaking the project into manageable tasks ensures your team analyzes a job immediately after completion. Identifying issues and fixing them before they become bigger problems or suggesting improvements for the following tasks is more manageable. Working in small bits helps the project manager make informed decisions.
5. Excessive Reliance On Software
Human beings best execute some areas of some projects. Reliance on software to cut costs by replacing human beings can be a bad idea. While software greatly reduces the workload, it cannot fix all issues. Run some tasks effectively requires human input and monitoring. As a project manager, don't rush to replace your team members with software.
6. Poor Communication
Team members need to understand their roles to avoid misunderstandings and blame games. A project without clear communication channels can be challenging, and stakeholders may fail to understand what needs a priority and what can wait. The project manager and all stakeholders should constantly communicate to ensure the project doesn't stall or fail.
What are the Challenges Faced by Project Managers?
A project manager's primary job involves executing complex projects and delivering positive results. It may look like an easy job because of the hefty pay, but many challenges slow a project manager's job. The below table highlights some problems project managers face:
| Scope creep | This is when a project's blueprint changes in the middle of the project. Client's who are unsure of what they may decide to change the initial plan at any time. The project managers must come up with quick solutions to mitigate such scenarios. |
| Budget restrictions | Scope creep while managing projects call for an unplanned budget. It can lead to incomplete projects if the client doesn't have enough money to purchase the new requirements. |
| Inexperienced team members | Some team members' inadequate skills give project managers a hard time executing their duties. Each team member must have skills relevant to the project. |
| Unrealistic deadlines |
Some clients give impossible deadlines. Unrealistic deadlines can severely affect the product's quality. |
Conclusion
Employing a great project manager with excellent skills to manage your project will see your project to completion without experiencing significant hitches. A skilled project manager ensures the professional execution of your project with the best standards. Understanding how project management mistakes affect your project is critical in making informed decisions on how to avoid them. As a project manager, it's essential to break projects into manageable tasks to help measure your success more easily. Reach out to Guru solutions for effective services in Staffing PM.
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