This is the tenth installment in our 25 week series exploring the 25 competencies, or soft skills, that our assessments measure. Each week we’ll give you the definition of that competency, explain its value, and give you tips to help you develop it. This week: Project Management.
Project Management is identifying and overseeing all resources, tasks, systems and people to obtain results. It’s about getting work done. Project managers are shepherds for their projects, they make sure that they are always moving towards their goal, have all the resources they need, and are not derailed by any predators.
Great project managers are skilled at anticipating and removing obstacles. They know what common problems arise in their work flows and try to counteract those as much as possible. They are also quick on their feet when a new issue arises. They move fast to resolve the issue and get things back on track. They know what their teams are capable of and push them to work as productively as possible.
Those who are skilled in Project Management are always keeping an eye on the deadline and the bottom line. Time and money are the two biggest factors that projects get graded on and great project managers know how to use these resources effectively. They take the time to understand each phase of the project and know exactly which team member will be best suited to accomplish it. If things do start to slow down or go over budget, they have many different techniques for making up time and money, and they work hard to get productivity back to where it should be.
If you want to be a better project manager, you can start by taking time to better analyze the projects you’ve been assigned. Break each of your projects down into smaller tasks in order to get a better understanding of how long the overall project will take. Decide which tasks can be easily delegated and which ones you’ll need to do yourself. Anticipate any issues that may arise and create a contingency plan of action just in case. Be realistic with your deadlines, but always keep pushing to be more effective and more efficient.
If you would like to learn more ways to improve your Project Management skills, download our Project Management Rx Suite here.
