Apps, software, and digital projects have something in common: Project Management. Leading a project is more challenging than it looks, so a Project Manager (PM) encompasses many responsibilities and skills. What are its essential skills?
What is a Project Manager?
A Project Manager seeks the project's welfare, making the right decisions to bring projects to life. Yet, a PM role contemplates several roles and tasks. The first is defining leadership and creating an assertive and effective communication group.
It also needs to ensure project scopes are doable and accomplishable. It relies on critical thinking skills, meeting deadlines, and solving problems interactively and creatively. It's no surprise that adaptability is vital for any Project Manager!
A Project Manager is in charge of managing and supervising projects from start to finish! They know all the data regarding a project as they hold the project sponsor's charter.
Therefore, they can get hands-on and take control of the project's tasks and any emerging roadblock while keeping the team motivated throughout the project's lifecycle.
Skills for Project Management
We can divide critical Project Management skills into hard and soft skills.
Hard Skills for Project Management
Technical skills are the knowledge that enables high-quality and successful results:
● Planning: Project Managers need to identify general and specific goals to translate them into schedule development, resource allocation, and risk administration. PMs are also in charge of merging financial and budgetary logic, complying with the budgets for a project. Likewise, they take care of avoiding potential risks regarding the industry, legal, commercial, and brand edges.
● Framework: There are several Project Management methodologies, like Agile and Scrum, and not all methods apply to all projects. These frameworks also include available tools for the Management process, as well as certifications in for instance, Quality Management to ensure compliance with quality standards.
Soft Skills for Project Management
Hard skills are only half what's needed to be a successful PM! Soft Skills are also essential:
● Leadership: An effective PM is in charge of leading a work team, including time, budget, and quality management. It's key for Project Managers to have good communication skills! Further, PMs must lead the team at all stages of the project lifecycle to ensure all members have all available information to reach the best possible results.
● Resolution: A good PM negotiates deadlines, resources, and scope, with problem-solving as a crucial skill. Since PMs handle multiple projects simultaneously, they have the challenge of maintaining sight of the essentials, prioritizing and delegating tasks. A Project Manager should be adaptable, patient, and thrive in critical thinking.
Common Problems in Project Management
As seen in this article, managing projects can be quite a challenge! When working in Software Development, some critical issues can arise. We classified them into three categories to dive into how Project Management can help.
● Scope Slide: It's essential to define the scope from the beginning! To avoid scope slippage, PMs should get stakeholders involved to know their needs and expectations. Project Management is also in charge of defining a strategy that contemplates as much changes as possible.
● Bad Communication: Lousy communication can be what leads to delays and decline, so PMs should agree with stakeholders on communication types, frequency, and formats to ensure assertiveness. Here, communication plans are quite an asset!
● Financial Setbacks: According to Wellington, only 43% of companies complete their projects within budget. Here, adverse conditions include overspending, bad expense tracking, and higher-cost risk management. Part of what makes a successful PM is their ability to manage expectations, risks, time, deliverables, and, of course, costs and budget.
Where To Start with Project Management?
Looking to be the best Project Manager you can be? Here are specific tips to increase your game!
First of all, practice is everything! Strengthen your knowledge before undertaking large-caliber projects. Also, the internet has a tremendous amount of related data! Take advantage of the vast available administration and management tools and software!
Likewise, there are articles, podcasts, and books on the internet to improve your skills. Digital materials are a great source to get the depths of management in a more up-to-date way.
And, of course, work experience is vital. It includes running internships, volunteering, and part-time work. Don’t be afraid to dive into real-world challenges and ask questions to other managers!
Conclusion
Like all fields, it’s essential to keep updated with news and trends for Project Managers! Try to be in touch with new tech and methodologies. Attending talks, meetings, and courses to refresh basic knowledge can help you improve your game. As long you combine hard and soft skills with commitment and communication, you’re one step closer to being a better PM!
