It takes a lot of skills to be a highly effective project manager. On the one hand, technical expertise is necessary and lays the groundwork for a successful outcome. But there’s another set of skills that can make all the difference between being a good project manager and a great one: strong soft (aka interpersonal) skills.
According to a 2023 Project Management Institute study, 75% of project managers said soft skills are more important than technical skills for achieving success. They’re no longer just ‘nice to have’. They’re the glue that holds a project together by fostering trust among team members, navigating through uncertainty and resolving conflicts quickly.
What do soft skills look like for a project manager? They encompass a wide range of attributes, including:
- Communication:The skill to articulate ideas clearly, listen carefully and provide constructive feedback.
- Problem-Solving:The ability to think critically, analyze situations and come up with effective solutions.
- Emotional Intelligence:The knowledge to manage your own emotions and the empathy to understand others.
- Adaptability:The flexibility to embrace change, learn new things and change strategies when necessary.
- Awareness:The understanding of how an organization operates and how your role contributes to its goals.
Soft skills don’t always come naturally to project managers (particularly those new to the role), but fortunately, they can be taught. Leah M Joppy and Associates is offering a new course to help:
Project Management Basics – 1 Day Course
Whether you’re a project manager, project lead, or a project team member, this course is designed to help you navigate the phases of a project life cycle to ensure success in its outcomes and satisfaction of the stakeholders who are affected by the project. Project Management Basics, a condensed and fast-moving learning experience, introduces participants to the essential knowledge and practical tools needed to plan, organize, execute, monitor, and close a project.
Through discussions, examples, and applied activities, participants will be able to establish project goals and scope, define team responsibilities, create work plans and schedules, manage risks and changes, execute and monitor project progress, communicate with stakeholders, monitor performance, and capture lessons learned.
Learn more by calling us at 301-351-9523 or email us at leah@lmja.com.
