As a project manager, you’re expected to possess the knowledge and techniques to ensure all project guidelines are met, and the desired outcomes are reached on budget and on time. However, we’re not all project managers but are still expected to guarantee projects are managed effectively and delivered on time. In addition, anyone managing a project must also possess particular soft skills to support tasks being completed, such as ensuring clients/customer satisfaction, effective decision making, efficient handling of resources, maintaining productivity and more.
Here are our top four essential Project Management Skills to consider if you want to run successful projects.
1. Risk Management
Struggling to meet client expectations, budgets, scheduling issues, or even health and safety issues are all major risks that can have serious and damaging project and client relationship impacts. When it comes to project management, good risk management skills are essential. You need to have the ability to identify risks and potential risks to effectively minimise, avoid or develop a solution before the risk becomes too big to handle. Completing a risk assessment during the planning stages of any project is an effective way to manage project risks. It’s vital to record any known risk that has potential to impact the project and evaluate the likelihood of it happening and what impact it would have.
2. Communication
Effective Communication is an extremely powerful and important skill to possess when it comes to project management. From dealing with clients, stakeholders, internal teams, providers and more, the ability to effectively manage successful projects depends on excellent communication skills. No matter how you’re communicating (in-person, email, phone, planning documents, etc.), it’s important to ensure all parties receive the same message from the conversation without misunderstandings or crossing any wires.
Want more information on project management communication? Check out the Project Management one-day course where communication planning is a key focus.
3. Organisation
With projects having so many moving parts, from budget revisions, managing teams, updating clients and more, no two days are the same, and it can become too easy to lose track of where you’re at. This is why excellent organisational skills are imperative when it comes to project management. To ensure you stay on top of a project, it is critical to be detailed oriented, a pro at multi-tasking, and most importantly, to keep your eye on the big picture at all times.
Creating key project documents, including a project charter, is a great approach to confirm you stay organised from start to finish. You can learn more about the importance of a project charter and other project documents here.
4. Budget
It’s evident that adhering to a budget is key in safeguarding that a project runs smoothly. Otherwise, it may not run at all. You need to know how to accurately estimate the costs of a project, ensure the budget is realistic and practical, and monitor costs throughout the length of the project. Being an effective budgeter will enable you to utilise every project penny wisely. Having a contingency plan within your project plan will help elevate unknown and unforeseen circumstances that may arise
How we can help:
Within our one-day project management course, participants obtain the fundamental skills to efficiently and effectively initiate, plan, manage and execute all types of projects.
They also take away practical skills, strategies, and techniques to apply to all projects in any sector.
To discover more about project management and the essential skills needed to run effective and successful projects, check out our one-day project management course here. Or, contact us for a chat about what would suit you best!
