12 Skills

every project manager

needs to master

… and how to achieve them

 Introduction
As a project manager you need to work on developing some competencies
that will help you achieve your goals and become a great Project Manager.

On any project, the PM is the face and brain behind the project, so he or she
cannot afford not to be on top of his or her game. Besides having the knowhow
and competencies relevant for a specific project, PMs need to work on develo-
ping a transversal skill set that will help them excel at any project given, no
matter what the subject is.

On this ebook we will go through these 12 skills, showing their importance and
some actions you can perform to become better at them.

Empathy …………………………………………………………….........………..pag. 2

Team empowerment…………………………………………………………....pag. 5

Subject Matter Expertise……………………………………………………...pag. 8

Strategy …………………………………………………………….........………...pag. 10

Risk Management ……………………………………………..........………...pag. 13

Communication ....……………………………………………..........………...pag. 15

Expectations Management ..………………………………………………...pag. 17

Sound Judgment Analysis…………………………………………………….pag. 19

Technological compliant/savvy………………………………………...….pag. 21

Business Acumen………………………………………………..............…….pag. 23

Trust Building Skills…………………………………………................…….pag. 25

Delegating Capacity………………………………..…………..............…….pag. 26

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 empathy

Empathy can be described as a person’s ability to be attuned to the feelings

and emotions of other people. There are three basic ways of appreciating em-
pathy:

Effective empathy: This is the main ability of feeling what people feel,
and being in their shoes real time. Studies have shown that people who
are empathic effectively are the ones who react profoundly when they see
a gory sight in a movie or any other location.

Cognitive empathy: The person who possesses cognitive empathy un-

derstands the emotions of others, why they act the way they act or even
react the way they do. Cognitively empathic people may not share in the
strong reactions of others.

Cognitive regulation: These sets of people have a lid on their emotions.

An example is a doctor who is needed to keep calm and concentrate on his
job even in the face of distracting sights and sounds.

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 It is important for humans to be empathic because it immediately drives the
person to respond to other person’s needs.

For a project manager, empathy is very important. It puts you at a vantage po-
sition to understand the level of creativity or competence in handling a parti-
cular task, and that helps to adjust to your level in terms of delegating duties.

When you are empathic, you get to know and understand how your team-
mates like to work. This will bring out the best in them. Sometimes, a request
from a coworker or team member can come up that may otherwise sound
ludicrous, but if you are empathic, it becomes easier to understand why this is
happening, and that helps you to decide its worthiness or otherwise.

Empathy also helps you to build communication and trust between team
members. You are able to know what to say and how to say it effectively.

How can you become more empathetic?

Make it a duty not to look down on your subordinates. The fact that you are
placed in a position to dish out instructions is not enough grounds to lord
it over the team members, and sadly, such countenance is very easy to de-
cipher among them, and loathe begins. Sometimes, someone down the or-
ganizational ladder may even proffer better ideas than even the person
leading. Make sure everyone is treated with regard.

Have attentive ears for everyone and everything. Observe and dedicate
verbal and nonverbal cues and messages.

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Show them that you understand, and that you care about their work, and that
you are interested in their welfare, and do it genuinely.

As an addendum to being humble, always bear it in mind that you don’t

always know everything, and place yourself in a position where you are ame-
nable to change and even correction. Instead of them shaming you, you will
win their respect and admiration. When someone does something, don’t
always jump to conclusions based on what you think. Try to get to unders-
tand first before judging.

Always consider what you would do if you were the one going through what
they’re going through before meting out sanctions or words. Also remember
you were once in a position like theirs before concluding on people, especia-
lly your team members. Remember that the golden rule is doing unto others
what you would want done to you. When an issue is put before you, take time
to think it through with compassion in your heart, and connect to how the
person is feeling. Don’t compare, instead try to relate.

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 Team Empowerment

When you empower your employees, you give them the autonomy and authority to
take certain decisions at critical times.

Team empowerment gives each member a say when the group is taking decisions.
This allows the team to organize and get things done. When a team is empowered,
the hierarchy becomes flatter and the gap between the manager and the team
members is reduced to the advantage of the project at hand.

Team empowerment makes use of four distinct principles:

1. Meaningfulness
2. Autonomy
3. Impact
4. Potency

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 Why should you empower your team?

There is little more ways of delivering sense of belonging to a team other than ga-
thering people together to work as a team. When team members are motivated and
excited to work together because they share common goals and aspirations, the
project receives extra burst of motivation and the desire to deliver quality results.

Then, at this time, with minimal supervision and little bursts of encouragement, the
team will be motivated and there will be the heightened interest in partnering and
collaborating every meeting or working day.

When the team is empowered, members feel that you are in touch with their welfa-
re in every wise; the entire morale of the workers will be at an all-time high; you will
have them looking forward to work every day and as well feeling that they are
valued in their post of duty. Happiness transmutes into working zest until the whole
organization is lit up with the infectious zeal to get things done.

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When a team is empowered, the mantle shifts a little from your shoulders as a
project manager. The sense of responsibility is transmitted downwards to the
team members. They arrive early and are sure to participate well and evenly.
Even when there are members of the team which aren’t participating so well,
the onus will be on them because of the influence of a number of the other
team members, as against how it would have been when it was just the project
manager breathing down their necks.

To empower your team you need to trust. Communicate and get to know each
one of them so you can identify their strengths and weaknesses. Delegate
tasks according to their abilities and always include them in important times
(for example, when big decisions need to be taken). Celebrate each win as a
whole, not as your own (even if you did most of the job), and communicate fre-
quently the progress of the project.

“ When a team is empowered,

the productivity increases ”

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 SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERTISE
A subject matter expert is someone who deeply understands a particular working
of a machine, a process, or an invention. Subject matter experts are greatly
sought after, so they tend to become leaders.

A project manager needs to have a proficient level of subject matter expertise for
him or her to fare well in the project. The advantages are myriad; the benefits will
be there for both the project manager and the client to appreciate.

To become a subject matter expert, it takes for you to immerse in the field with
the aim of learning everything about it. Sometimes it could be a good idea to take
graduate courses and certifications in the field of interest to advance knowledge
and competencies in it.

Why is it important?

It helps you to relate well with the subject matter of the project, understand how
and what is needed to be done and, in some cases, reduce the cost that will accrue
from hiring professionals from outside when a grey area needs to be addressed.

The project manager can oversee better than subordinates who are also experts in
the same field, and possible curtail a lot of excesses which are bound to happen,
and would go unnoticed if the project manager had no idea of what was going on.

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 A project manager
can become a subject
matter expert!
By simply being exposed to a generality of project sites and applying yourself to
learning, with the ingredient of humility, you as a project manager can know a lot
about a specific topic. It isn’t impossible. It can happen. Open yourself to new
things, be willing to learn, study, read and talk.

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 Strategy

In project management, strategy can be seen from the lens of these four points of
view:

1. A strategy can be a deliberate plan whereby a process is to be achieved.

2. A strategy can also be a pattern of decisions that are creating a favorable result.
3. A strategy can also be a vantage position that is designed to give advantage to
a cause or desire. A plant can be sited close to the source of raw materials, and it
becomes a strategy to cut transport costs.
4. It could also be seen as a perspective which shows the world how an
organization operates. This mindset is propagated by everyone at the
organization. It is like its identity.

As a project manager you need to enhance your strategic skills, so you can make
your work in overseeing projects, better and more effective. Planning and
positioning are some of the key parts of this definition.

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 Why is it important?

For a project manager, when his strategic planning skills are enhanced,
communication is better. It is been shown that 67% of organizations have
strategies and plans that are not in tandem with the overall organizational
personality, due to lack of effective communication. As a project manager you
should communicate your plan to the team members so they can stick to it and
run with it.

Resources are misallocated when there is no strategy in place or when the

strategy isn’t effective. Strategy helps to make educated decisions, through
monitoring and analyzing and adjustment of resource apportioning. Again,
strategy helps the project team to be more and better engaged to contribute their
utmost during the entire duration of the project. Studies have shown that only
23% of companies have a good strategic planning program for project
management purposes and that’s not an encouraging figure. Little wonder most
projects run under, and get stuck mid-way.

Comprehensive planning needs to be set up for each process of a particular

project. It is necessary for the life and health of the project. With this, all hands are
on deck, and everyone knows the next plan of action, how it is to be executed and
the possible deliverables from it.

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 How can one be more
strategic as a project
manager?
It’s not rocket-science.
First, concentrate on the reason and motivation for whatever is being done. Why
is this move important? Why should it not be done? Why should it be done this
way? When you focus on “whys”, the chances of coming out at a disadvantage are
very slim.

Secondly, make sure that you are a person who is analytically observant, by being
in tune with the realities of your business climate, as well as the project
environment. This helps you to make realistic plans and projections.

Lastly, you should be someone who thinks in terms of results and outcomes. If you
do this, how will it pan out? How will this plan affect your purpose? When you do
this, it means you will be more interested in communicating effectively with your
team members and show them why this or that outcome is desirable and
workable.

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 RISK MANAGEMENT

Risk management has to do with your ability to identify possible risks, studying
and analyzing how they affect the project, and taking real time steps to mitigate
them. It is important to note that as a project manager, there is no project that
does not have a level of risk associated to it. Again, risk is involved in every sphere
of human dealings. Even the simple activity of sleeping and waking up has its ele-
ment of risk because we are not assured of the next day.

Risks come in form of bankruptcy, recession, inflation and so many other factors
that can jeopardize a project. Both externally and internally.

Managing risks is an important part of project management.

A risk can make or make a project depending on how it is handled. The benefits
accruable from an efficient risk management plan include the fact that it helps the
project avoid unforeseen events and big disasters, it enhances the company’s
revenues and saves costs. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment that you
were involved in a bid to save the company huge losses. It ensures that a project is
successfully completed hitch-free and gives a working edge over other
competitors in the same business.

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To become better at risk management, work on these 7 skills:

1. Feel comfortable with numbers/finance

2. Be analytical
3. Have an eye for detail
4. Industry knowledge
5. Ability to work under stress
6. Negotiation and communication
7. Networking ability

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 communication

Communication has been simply defined as the way or process whereby

messages are sent and received. It could be verbal or nonverbal, and they include
speech, writing, sign language, charts and pictures, among others

A more concise definition states that communication is “the creation and

exchange of meaning”.

As a project manager you are leading a team full of diverse people, and you are
expected to circulate and go round effectively. Project teams are usually put
together to deliver specific value to an organization, and they are made up of
people from diverse backgrounds.

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A project manager must
be a master in the art
of communicating
To lead a project, you have to be able to share the goals with your team members,
let them know what is expected of the team, as well as the progress reports on
the project. You must be able to get responses from the people you are leading.
This means you have to be there for everyone, as well as to be in tune with the
demands of the project.

To do this effectively, you have to be visibly present and engage with everyone.
You have to not only give and receive information but to grasp the substance of
the message you are passing and receiving.

How to become a good communicator?

A project manager can improve this skill by imbibing the culture of active liste-
ning, not just listening in order to respond. Work on developing a kind of listening
that is patient and understanding. You should also be available and have a clear
understanding of what is expected from you and from each member of the team.

When necessary, a suitable communication plan can be adopted as to how and

when to communicate regarding the project. It can be meetings, get-togethers,
boot camps or morning pep-talks.

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 Expectations
management

The expectations of a project entail meeting the expectations of the client. A client
has certain needs before deciding to embark on a project. The thing is that doing a
good job is subjective as what you may consider to be a good job may not be
completely so in the eyes of a client. In that sense, it is important that a project
manager becomes well versed in the art of managing expectations effectively.

This is important because people have different ideas and impressions of

excellence, and as a good project manager you should be able to harmonize all of
them and to effectively impress clients across board. The better you manage
expectation, you can reduce surprises and also make necessary adjustments as
the project progresses.

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 How can a project manager deliver
well and sharpen his expectations
management skills?

First, you must never be carried away with the excitement of delivering on a pro-
ject just because you think you can. Be sure to articulate and collate all the risk
factors. Assemble and be aware of them, this will translate in to having fail-safe
plan to counter each of them. That way you are sure that whatever comes or
goes, your project won’t be hampered. Even in the event that the envisaged risk
comes into play beyond your powers or your counter plans, no one will be surpri-
sed.

Again, a project manager should also be on top of his game by knowing what’s
going on at each stage of a project and disseminate information. It is counterpro-
ductive to have people, both clients and team members surprised at anything. It
gives an impression of not being in charge and is a big minus for the project ma-
nager. It is better to involve people earlier on and then surprise them later.

In the course of a project, it’s better to slightly over-emphasize the negatives or

the factors that would make achieving the project difficult. That way, even with
your fail-safe plans, when you’re seen to overcome this ‘gargantuan challenges’,
you score very high in the eyes of people. Take care! You run the risk of un-
derwhelming team members so the best thing is to find a balancing ground.

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 JUDGEMENT
ANALYSIS

Decision making is one of the activities that characterize project management, and
is one of the skills that can make or mar a managers career. As a project manager,
you are akin to an expert in the firm and you are treated as an invaluable part of the
team, so you cannot afford to let the team down on account of rash decision
making when providing inputs to planning and execution in a project.

When a project manager has good decision making skills, it saves time during the
planning and also marks the risks involved. It makes estimates very reliable and
makes forecasts accurate. It is very dangerous to have inaccurate estimates. In
fact, it is one of the most potent risks associated with projects and will hamper
both the performances and the finances of the project. Studies have it that 60% of
projects don’t meet expectations in terms of the performance indices and this is
largely due to decisions made either rashly or sentimentally or without education.

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This is where you are expected to be on your toes as the overseer and the burden
bearer, because the bulk of this responsibility lies on the table of the manager.
To make good decisions as a project manager, take into account:

Do not mix emotion and impactful business decisions. Do not decide based
on how you feel. Emotions cause you to make decisions in a hurry and it will
negatively impact progress at some point. When you feel the urge to decide
based on sentiment, just take a step back and look at things objectively.

Do not focus on a single part of the overall mix that is either positive or nega-
tive. Instead, look at the overall, greater picture and take whole facts into
consideration before making a decision. Explore different angles to the
matter and adjust your point of view.

When dealing with data, be sure you are not making decision based on the
statistics that favor your cause. Be sure data you use is verifiable and accu-
rate. Be objective when relying on data.

When throwing a decision to open vote or seeking group opinion, always re-
member that biases and inclinations will come into play, and be quick to spot
them. Pundits have said that a group should be able to make a better deci-
sion than the smartest person in that group.

Don’t be in a hurry to reverse a decision you have made before. It is true that
an afterthought can be beneficial, but too many managers do so because of
self-doubt. Be sure that isn’t the motivation.

Learn from decisions made previously

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 TECHNOLOGICAL
SAVVINESS

In the past, being tech savvy was synonymous of being able to boot a computer
system, sending mails on a phone, or spending hundreds of dollars on the latest
gadget, but today, it means much more than that. It encompasses everything
technology has to offer to make one productive, as well as efficient.

For example, a day in the life of a working executive begins by checking his mails
and sorting them out. The important ones are flagged, and tasks are created out
of the ones that seem urgent and needing to be acted upon. It is reflected on his
calendar as part of his duties for the day. To get the latest feeds of news and
material, the favorite blogs and news sites are opened. He may use Digg to mark
the liked ones and probably bookmark them on the browser. To stay in touch with
the network, he may open Facebook and Twitter and get feeds from there as well.
When the day’s business begins he may send text message to some people, do a
video conference with some.

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A project manager needs to be tech savvy not just because he must use technology
to enhance his day to day life, but because he will be dealing with group
participations, risk assessment, use of applications that make his work easier,
among others. As his work is greatly dependent on a lot of modern things, it would
be a disservice not to stay in touch with current trends in the industry. Again,
sometimes he may be called upon to oversee a tech project.

Technology has redefined the way a workspace looks like and operates. There are
a variety of things and devices a project manager can implement to make his work
easier and more efficient. Examples include the use of a smart workplace using the
all-new IoT (Internet of things) which interconnects almost everything one uses,
from smart watches to smartphones and cars and computers. By synchronizing
your devices, you can allow them to be paired and exchange data to function better
and serve your purpose better.

You can explore the e-learning option instead of going to a real-time class for
lectures. You can take advantage of webinars and conference classes on various
courses to improve project management skills and even get certifications. There
are digital accounting softwares that can be linked to the project manager’s
workplace, online bookkeeping softwares, management softwares that can do the
job remotely.

The use of these technologies makes the job interesting, fulfilling and rewarding.

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 BUSINESS ACUMEN

Business acumen is defined as a functional and rewarding understanding of how a

business operates with a view to furthering and making it better. Business people
want to be of value, and remain on top of the competition.

This notion is borne out of the fact that businesses want to find fulfillment and
personal satisfaction. To be in a better position in the future with better prospects,
you need to understand the motivation and drivers of your business with a view to
using it to perpetuate and improve it.

Today, the job of managing projects has transcended simple oversight and dishing
orders. Because of the level of sophistication that today’s world has brought to the
table, project managers are forced to up their game to stay relevant and in
business. This has caused them to diversify their skills to include being sure they
are well aware of the business position of the enterprise, as well as making double
the efforts to sustain and even increase it.

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Some contributions a project manager’s business acumen can make to a business
venture include:

Increasing the cash position of the enterprise.

Impacting the company’s profit margin through a cost-benefit analysis.

Impacting the marketability and speed of a firm.

Managing budgets and project costs to minimize losses.

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 TRUST BUILDING
Being trustworthy is being someone people can depend on; it means to be reliable
and not ringing or giving excuses for unfulfilled promises.

“Trust is not demanded or handed freely; it is earned”

Project managers should concentrate on behaviors and policies that are inclined
towards building trust in their team members.

Why should a project manager have

the trust of his team members?

It is possible for people who do not trust themselves to be able to work together,
but being able to collaborate is only an exclusive preserve of those who really trust
each other. When a project manager does not trust his team, he falls back on
micromanagement, which makes work cumbersome and ineffective. When there is
no trust, more time is dissipated protecting personal and group interest to the
detriment of the project at hand. Relevant information is usually concealed and
people will not be motivated to do the work.

Building trust for a project manager is simple yet far-reaching. A few ideas:

1.Be visible so that an opinion can be formed of you

2.Communicate honestly and sincerely
3.Be transparent and dialogue with your colleagues
4.Deliver on all promises without faltering

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 Delegating

Delegation is the conferment of authority on a person by someone of a higher

authority. Usually, project managers have the responsibility of overseeing the
authority they have delegated to the team members. But ultimately, the
responsibility of the task lies on the shoulders of the person who delegates it.
Whenever any question needs to be asked, it is the boss that will most likely be
asked.

Why is delegation important?

It is of the essence that tasks are delegated to other members, for achieving
efficiency and development. When tasks are delegated, the team becomes
efficient because it comprises the contributions of every team member. When
work is handed down to people whose specific skill match the job to be done, the
organization becomes efficient and tasks are seamlessly and effortlessly carried
out. It gives the manager more time to do other things, like planning the next
phase of the project. It also reduces the workload on the manager.

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Most team heads have skills and abilities that can be bequeathed to their team
members. Handing the tasks that require the use of these skills is the best way to
test their understanding of what has been taught.

A manager can better his delegating skills by:

1. Delegating tasks based on members’ perceived interests

2. Using of feedback to test the delegation and performance of the doers
3. Using of time frame and deadlines to ensure accountability and compliance
4. Delegating to the right person fit for the job
5. Avoiding ambiguity in the delegating instructions

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 in conclusion
A project manager is saddled with the responsibility and weight of the project he
manages; it would be a great disservice for him not to have the requisite skills and
competencies that a professional of his position requires.

Prospering and being sought after as a project manager requires not just
possessing certain innate skills but also being up to speed with the latest best
practices and innovations in this field. The scope of the qualities enumerated in
this book are tailor-made to make the job of the project manager easier, faster
and more efficient.

We hope you enjoyed it and that you get the most out of it!.

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 references
https://www.workfront.com/blog/10-ways-project-manage-
ment-can-improve-with-communication
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/risk-management
https://www.projectmanagement.com/blog-pos-
t/13231/3-Ways-To-Become-A-Strategic-Project-Manager
https://www.wahm.com/articles/more-than-the-basics-what-it-re-
ally-means-to-be-tech-savvy.html

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