Skills And Characteristics For Effective Project Management

The Importance of Project Management

Question:

Discuss how the effective project manager or management is effective in integrating all the important skills that is required for good project management.
 

Project management is a tool or a process that develops and executes the skills, knowledge and experience to achieve the goals and objectives of the project or the organization as a team. It involves working as a team to achieve one common goals and objective of the firm or the organization. Project management requires high technical skills. Effective project management also requires refined interpersonal skills and leadership skills to ensure that the projects that are being developed and executed to ensure that people are able to achieve objectives of the projects (Verzuh 2015).  The author addresses the important skills and characteristics that are required for an effective project management. This includes both the technical skills and soft skills. The report also discusses how the effective project manager or management is effective in integrating all the important skills that is required for good project management. This includes the leadership skills like tam building, motivation, conflict management, relationship building and other skills (Burke 2013). 

Project manager is a person that is responsible to manage the project management so that they are able to achieve the set goals and objectives. Project manager is responsible for overall execution and planning of a particular project. Each project has new challenges attached to it so it is essential for the project manager to have qualities and skills that are required for effective project management. An effective project manager is the one that have right combination of skills, knowledge, experience, and personality. It is the skills and diplomacy that will help in effective project management (Barry 2015). The top qualities that an effective project manager should have are as follows:

• Good communication skills- the most important skill for effective project management is that he/she should be a good communicator. Poor communications can have a negative effect as it may cause misunderstanding and distortions especially when a large team is to be managed. Project manager should have clear communications, goals, responsibility, feedback, performance and expectations. A good communication helps in setting a good guideline for the project management (Bredillet et al. 2015).
• Effective leadership skills- project management requires dealing with large teams. Hence the project manager should have good leadership skills so that it is able to handle the large team effectively. It is essential for the managers to motivate employees and improve the team performance to achieve the organizational goals.
• Good decision making- project managers have the responsibility of making tough decisions at every stage of the process or operation. The project manager should have good decision making skills so that it is able to make effective decisions to solve the challenges that it face. It is essential for the project manager should thin quickly and react effectively (Chipulu et al. 2013).
• Set goals and visions- planning is the most essential step in effective project management. Building a clear picture of the direction to which they are to head is essential. Visionaries thrive on change and being able to draw new boundaries. Vision helps the stakeholders believe that they have real stake in the project. The main skill that the project manager should be possessing is that they should have the opportunity of exploring vision for the organization. Effective project managers should be visionary in nature (Hodgson and Paton 2016).
• Technical knowledge- project manager should also have a good technical knowledge to handle the technical tools and subject of the project. Sound technical knowledge helps in solving the problems that may crop up during the implementation stage. It also helps the manager take strategic decisions. Technical knowledge and skills is as essential as the soft skills for effective project management (Kerzner 2013).
• Problem solving skills- the project manager should have effective problem solving skills in order for effective team management and project management. There are various problems that may arise during effective project management. But it is essential for manager to handle them effectively in order to accomplish the set goals and objectives.
• Team building- effective project management requires the team to work in unity. For this the project manager requires good management of team building. The team manager should have skill to realize the positive aspects of the team members so that it can be used effectively for the planning and execution of the project.
• Enthusiastic- the project managers should be enthusiastic about the project and should have positive attitude towards work. Effective project manager should have a can do attitude so that they can inspire others as well with their positive attitude. Enthusiastic leaders are committed towards their goals (Medina and Francis 2015).
• Empathetic- empathetic nature of the project managers helps them gain support. It includes showing care and support to the members of the team and understand theory problem. It also includes understanding the needs of the stakeholders and other team issues. This helps in building an effective project management.
• Pragmatic- the other skill that is required for effective project management is being pragmatic. A good manager is the one that focuses on the getting the work done with the resources that is available to them. An effective project manager is the one that analyzes the problem to its core and then progresses with the project (Nixon et al. 2012).
• Thrive under pressure- It is essential for the project managers to work under a situation where they have capability to thrive under pressure. A project manager should be calm and have a balanced state of mind so that they don’t indulge in negative thoughts.
• Good negotiation skills- a project manager should have the skill to negotiate with its team members. This skill is required to bridge the gap that arises due to differences in the opinion of the team members. It is essential for the project managers to settle the issues that arise due to conflict through effective negotiations (Kerzner 2013).
• Ability to delegate tasks- a project manager should trust its team as it reflects in the actions of the team and its members. The work of the project should be done as a team. This helps in building a trust and makes the team strong.
• Integrity- a project manager should be honest, loyalty and integrity. The actions of the managers greatly influence the team members. Hence it is essential for the project manager should set positive and influencing actions to motivate its members for an effective project management. It is also essential for the project manager should practice what they preach.
• Organized and efficient- an effective project manager should be organized and efficient. They should have an excellent time management skills. It is essential for the project manager to be punctual and meet the deadlines. The project manger should have a skill to find alternate solutions to the problems and abandon the strategies that is not working (Brealey et al. 2012).
• Experienced and knowledgeable- the project manger should be experienced as the experiences helps the managers tackle nay problem they face. The experience and knowledge that the project posses help the manager earn respect and authority from its team members. The approach of the manager should be logical.
• Competent- am effective project manager should be competent and good in its working. It is essential to maintain the flow of work and create a win situation in order to achieve the target (Bauer et al. 2014).

The main skill that is essential for effective project management is good communication skill. A project manager should analyze the qualities that are needed for effective project management and incorporate it in its personal life. This can be done by attending proper training sessions and development. A project manager should be confident and honest. A good personality trait helps the manager gain respect and popularity among it team members. It is not easy to be a good project manager as project management requires high technical skill set along with soft skills. A project manager should have the ability to manage the risks. Effective project management requires proper planning and execution of the work in order to achieve the set goals and targets of the project. A project manger should be inspiring in nature so that they are able to motivate the team members and its employees. Change is the main factor and an effective project manager should be the one that can accept the change (Ahmad et al. 2013). 

Conclusion

Project management is an approach that requires great planning and execution. For this the project manager should have good skills. Proper integration of the skills helps the manager and its team achieves the set organizational goals and targets. The main skill that is required is good communication skills and confidence. The project manager should be able to handle the challenges and issues confidently. Relationship building and a good leadership skill are the essential characteristics. It is essential for the project manager to not only have technical skills but soft skills as well in order to accomplish the set goals and targets.  

References

Ahmad, S., Mallick, D.N. and Schroeder, R.G., 2013. New product development: impact of project characteristics and development practices on performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 30(2), pp.331-348.

Barry, T.R., 2015. Top 10 qualities of a project manager.

Bauer, B.J., Richardson, T.M. and Marion Jr, J.W., 2014. Project Manager ‘Management Competency’vs.‘Technical Competency’. Which is more important to overall project management success?. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, 4(4 (Version 1)), pp.269-273.

Brealey, R.A., Myers, S.C., Allen, F. and Mohanty, P., 2012. Principles of corporate finance. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Bredillet, C., Tywoniak, S. and Dwivedula, R., 2015. What is a good project manager? An Aristotelian perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.254-266.

Burke, R., 2013. Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA.

Chipulu, M., Neoh, J.G., Ojiako, U.U. and Williams, T., 2013. A multidimensional analysis of project manager competences. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 60(3), pp.506-517.

Hodgson, D.E. and Paton, S., 2016. Understanding the professional project manager: cosmopolitans, locals and identity work. International Journal of Project Management, 34(2), pp.352-364.

Kerzner, H.R., 2013. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.

Medina, A. and Francis, A.J., 2015. What Are the Characteristics That Software Development Project Team Members Associate With a Good Project Manager?. Project Management Journal, 46(5), pp.81-93.

Nixon, P., Harrington, M. and Parker, D., 2012. Leadership performance is significant to project success or failure: a critical analysis. International Journal of productivity and performance management, 61(2), pp.204-216.

Verzuh, E., 2015. The fast forward MBA in project management. John Wiley & Sons.