Essential Project Handling Skills Every New Project Manager Should Master

The project management industry continues to experience unprecedented growth, increasing the demand for project managers across different industries. Strengthening your project handling skills is becoming more crucial than ever. A Talent Gap Report by the Project Management Institute found that there will be a global demand for 25 million new project professionals by 2030.

As such, project managers must continue to equip themselves with the necessary skills to meet industry demands. In addition to educational qualifications, professionals need a mix of technical skills, leadership skills and business acumen to execute projects successfully.

Here’s a breakdown of essential project management skills professionals need in the modern-day market.

What are Project Management Skills?

Project management skills encompass various abilities crucial for successfully planning, executing, and closing projects. These skills are valuable in various industries and roles where individuals lead and oversee projects.

The skills can be categorized into two groups:

 

• • Hard skills: Also referred to as technical skills, these are skills acquired through education, on-the-job experience, and training programs. They’re job-specific and demonstrate a professional’s ability to perform a particular task or function. They include resource management, project planning, scheduling, and risk management, to mention a few

• • Soft skills: These are non-technical skills related to an individual’s ability to interact with others and navigate their work environment. These skills are often less tangible and more difficult to quantify than hard skills. Soft skills play a crucial role in building effective relationships, communicating well, and contributing to a positive work environment

Acquiring and honing these skills improves a project manager’s ability to achieve organizational objectives and supervise teams. Note that these skills are all-encompassing, i.e., they apply to project managers supervising projects across various industries.

Are you a new project manager who needs to learn the ins and outs of project management? Check out our training course, The Accidental Project Manager, to learn more. Already got some experience under your belt? Read more here to learn 12 reasons you should get your PMP.

Essential Project Management Skills

Becoming a successful project manager requires diverse skills to plan, execute, and complete projects effectively. They include:

Hard Skills

These skills are obtained through formal training or project management experience.

Risk Management

This is the ability to Identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. As a project manager, you must be aware of the project’s potential to make a profit or loss and make decisions that lead to a favorable outcome.

In addition, you must be conscious of the stakeholder’s measure of success and how each decision contributes to that decision. Risk management also involves understanding the company’s ability to take on risks. Does it have the capacity to do pilot projects, or must the project yield a profit?

Planning and Forecasting

Project managers must create a roadmap to guide stakeholders in their roles. Thus, you must be able to plan effectively by identifying the project goals, creating a reasonable timeline for each task and allocating resources.

Project management software makes planning and scheduling easier. A project manager should also be able to predict the project’s outcomes to help team members and other company leaders align resources. Data from past projects can help you make informed decisions about the project’s future.

Quality Management

As the project manager, you must ensure the project’s deliverables meet the required quality control standards. Familiarizing yourself with quality control tools like Lean and Six Sigma methodologies gives you an edge in the market. Companies are confident that you can manage and deliver high-quality projects.

Data Analysis

You should be able to analyze data to identify risks and opportunities beforehand. With this skill, you can identify areas of improvement and make informed decisions. Proficiency in data analysis tools like Google Excel or Microsoft Excel demonstrates their ability to analyze data.

Apply Project Methodologies

A project manager should familiarize themselves with the different project management methodologies and know when to apply them. Agile methodologies like Kanban and Scrum have gained widespread adoption due to their ability to manage projects effectively.

Project managers skilled in using them can manage complex projects, promote collaboration among team members, and apply continuous improvement strategies.

Soft Skills

These are innate strengths which are critical to your success as a project manager:

Communication

Project managers must convey ideas clearly and listen actively to team members and stakeholders. They should be able to articulate project goals, expectations, and progress updates.

This is only possible if they master verbal, written, and visual communication. It helps you communicate with each project stakeholder effectively.

Leadership

A project manager spearheads the company’s projects, and as such, you should have the ability to inspire and guide team members. Leadership requires one to feel comfortable organizing and facilitating meetings, enforcing constraints, and holding participants accountable. You must also have decision-making skills, taking into account project constraints and goals.

Time Management

Project management involves creating project timelines, setting milestones, and ensuring tasks are timely. Your time management skills are tested because you should be comfortable juggling multiple deadlines, stakeholder needs, and constraints.

Learning to manage complex timelines calmly and consistently is important. While this soft skill can be learned, project management is best suited for naturally organized people.

Adaptability

With the field constantly evolving, project management tools and strategies will likely follow suit to enhance efficiency. As such, a project manager should be flexible enough to adapt to the new technology, techniques, and strategies before learning how to use them.

Adaptability also concerns a project manager’s ability to bounce back when faced with setbacks. Having a nimble mindset helps you overcome obstacles regardless of the situation. It also helps you cultivate teamwork because you need their buy-in to keep communication channels clear and the tasks on track. This is only possible when you’re on board with the new tools or methods introduced.

Critical Thinking

Project managers often need to think on their feet and make decisions quickly. Critical thinking is the skill to analyze information or data at hand and make decisions as the project’s needs change. It also helps you hold stakeholders accountable and make the necessary calls to negotiate constraints.

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Conflicts are bound to arise among team members, and it’s up to you to help them solve the problem. Effective conflict resolution shouldn’t be biased; rather foster collaboration among team members.

The Bottom Line

Developing and honing these project management skills can contribute to successful project outcomes and help you excel as a project manager. Remember, mastering these skills is an ongoing process, and experience is a valuable teacher in project management. Continuously seek opportunities for learning and improvement throughout your career.