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What you need to be a successful project manager

Johannesburg, 23 Mar 2010

In the analysis of what makes up a good project manager, the list of qualities spans a broad spectrum of characteristics, much bandied about by business schools and institutions.

These include the obvious, from technical competency and a dedication to accomplishing goals, to working well under pressure, good people skills and the ability to solve problems.

There are, however, four main attributes that all top project managers have in common:

* Flexibility
* Communication skills
* Leadership skills
* Organisational skills

Flexibility

Project managers need to be flexible to deal effectively with constantly changing project requirements and shifting strategic objectives.

Adaptability to varying situations and challenges includes not only knowing when to change and adapt quickly to new requirements, but being able to move with ease between high and low levels of detail, in order to ensure that all aspects are being thoroughly covered by every member of the team.

Communication skills

It seems obvious that any type of manager needs good communication skills in order to get the message across to the team. But communication is far more than simply the successful transfer of a message to one or more people; a fundamental aspect of effective communication is active listening. This involves not merely hearing what is being said, but ensuring that the message - and all its nuances - is correctly understood by all concerned.

Strong written and verbal communication skills play a fundamental role in ensuring effective communication between the various levels within the organisation, as well as between technical and lay levels of understanding. The ability to articulate a complex message appropriately to suit the audience is a skill constantly used by project managers to bridge the language gap between executive and technical levels within the organisation.

Leadership skills

People in positions of authority are not necessarily leaders. Leadership goes well beyond simply being placed in management roles. Instead, a leader is someone who inspires others by exemplary conduct or performance. Leaders attract followers - people who are inspired by their behaviour.

Project managers often have very little authority within the conventional pecking order of an organisation. Their ability to lead effectively, however, plays a definite role in the successful rollout of projects within the company, and in so doing it has a direct bearing on the bottom line.

Important leadership skills include the ability to motivate the team by ascertaining the relevant trigger points that encourage action and the achievement of objectives.

An effective project manager will know how to bring people together to achieve set objectives. Such a leader will know which battles to fight to add real value, and which challenges will merely congest the work situation.

Leaders engender trust, and have the ability to strike the fine balance between providing a safe environment and ensuring sufficient challenge and inspiration for people to achieve their full potential and go the extra mile.

Organisational skills

As the communications hub with the department, the project manager should be able to organise and redirect information to team members in a way that complements them, while still remaining focused on the core issues and priorities of the project.

Skilled project managers will keep abreast of newly published methodologies, making use of a variety of views and approaches in their efforts to structure a viable project environment, rather than slavishly adhering to one or other methodology that is not tailored to suit the needs of the project or business context.

Conclusion

Being responsible for the planning, execution, monitoring, control and closure of projects, the project manager plays a pivotal role in driving the success of the business, and as such is invaluable not only to the smooth running of projects, but ultimately to the bottom line of the organisation.

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Editorial contacts

Lisa Cooper
Predictive Communications
(011) 452 2923
lisa@predictive.co.za
Sue Ellenbogen
Dynamic Technology Holdings
(021) 467 5400
sellenbogen@dvt.co.za