Project management, as defined by the Association for Project Management, is “the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters.”
It involves performing diverse tasks effectively in order to complete a project within a finite timespan, resources and budget, including recording project requirements; defining deliverable quality; securing funding; and managing risks, issues and changes on the project.
For that reason, managing a project requires a vast range of skills. According to job search expert Alison Doyle, among the most important are:
Leadership: For a project to progress accordingly, project managers must be able to lead and motivate a team, especially in resolving conflict between team members, inspiring the team to succeed and discouraging substandard work.
Communication: This involves communicating with staff members, updating progress or problems to clients, and negotiating with vendors, whether verbally – one-or-one or public speaking, for instance – or in writing.
Negotiation: A skill that can be developed and improved through experience, it is especially critical when it comes to dealing with clients or vendors, be it settling on a suitable schedule or securing resources and manpower.
People Management: Related to leadership and communication, this involves setting goals for team members to achieve, evaluating their performances and encouraging collaboration between them.
Organisation: Given the hefty number of tasks they need to juggle, project managers must establish an organisational system that balances both their professional and personal lives to keep track of every aspect of a project.
Problem Solving: This does not only involve handling unexpected problems and preventing minor issues from escalating, but also determining potential challenges and coming up with solutions should they arise, as well as creating backup plans and alternatives in case the current project plan hits a snag.
Budgeting: With a fixed amount of money available for a project, project managers must create a spending plan and ensure that it is followed closely to prevent any unnecessary costs. Similarly to negotiation, this skill can be improved through experience.
