Managing projects and successfully concluding them requires technical and personal skills. A project can be any action that requires more than one step, meaning, it consists of several tasks. There are shorter projects and others that require more time or are more complex.
By the concept “project”, we can understand from any idea that we turn into a reality, into a tangible result through a series of measures and actions. Projects can help to create products or services, to improve procedures, to solve problems, to organise workflows or events etc. Even preparing for an exam, working on our personal development or our well-being can be considered projects.
Whatever the nature of the project, there are a number of project management skills that will help us conclude it. So, let us have a look at the skills to manage projects successfully.
1. Commitment
Carrying out a project requires committing to it. For this we need to know the reason for the project, that is, why we carry it out. We should also know what we intend to achieve, what the objectives are, which problems it solves or which improvements it entails.
2. Focus
To move forward with our projects we need to keep an eye on the important. We need to know how to decide which is the next important step in order to make progress. It can be a task that we need to perform. We also need to anticipate which information we should request in advance so as not to get stuck when it is the turn of a certain project phase. And there will be issues that we should delegate.
That is to say that at each moment we need to be able to decide which is the necessary step that helps the progress of the project.
3. Constancy
If we work hard on a project and then leave it abandoned for a while, we will have a harder time to resume it. We will lose time in remembering where we were at, in putting ourselves into the situation. That is why it is better to move forward little by little. Other issues that may arise can fill our days and in the end we have not found time to work on the project. That is why it is important that we reserve time in our agenda to move forward with our projects.
4. Willpower
Especially when we work on our own projects, that is, those that have not been assigned to us by others, our motivation can sometimes falter. Perhaps complications or doubts arise, or we feel overwhelmed by the amount of issues, related or not to the project, which we need to resolve. That is when the willpower to continue will be key. To keep it up, it is very useful to remind us the reason for the project, what we want to achieve and what for.
5. Discipline
Self-discipline means following habits and behaviours. In order not to falter in our effort to progress with a project, we need to discipline ourselves to work on the different steps. This means finding time to move forward even if other issues arise or motivation sometimes wavers. Both commitment and willpower help us with this point.
6. Patience
Some projects can stretch in time both in terms of the time of realisation and when it comes to finally seeing their results. That is when being patient becomes a virtue that helps us maintain the motivation to continue working.
7. Perseverance
To be persevering is to work with constancy, patience and determination towards an objective. It means not being discouraged despite obstacles, difficulties, frustration, lack of inspiration, or the desire to abandon. It is therefore an important quality for any vital and professional project. But in order to persevere, we need to be clear about our goal that justifies the effort employed.
8. Adaptability
While working on a project, we can detect certain constraints that we had not initially considered. Changes may also arise in the environment or we may detect the need to modify the objectives of the project and the way of carrying it out. Flexibility and the ability to adapt to the situation then help us adjust our course and our project in order to accomplish it.
9. Reaction capacity
Related to the previous point, during the development of a project, some problem may arise or something may go wrong. Being able to react in time to solve a difficulty or adapt certain project steps is therefore essential. That brings us to the next point.
10. Problem-solving
Ideally, projects would move forward without difficulties. However, normally you encounter an obstacle or a problem that you had not anticipated. Being able to face difficulties and find solutions is essential to not get stuck in projects. It may even be necessary to know how to improvise on the go.
11. Frustration tolerance
Things do not always go as we would like. During a project,things can go wrong, or at least not as well as we want. We collaborate with other people who do things their own way, which may not be the way we consider the best.
It is therefore inevitable to go through moments of frustration. But knowing how to overcome them, i.e. to tolerate frustration, is a key ability to not abandon a project early.
12. Ability to work under pressure
Projects may have moments of great pressure due to deadlines, due to the need to satisfy the customer. The workload can also add stress to the matter.
That is why it is necessary to be able to deal with that pressure in order not to suffer a mental block. Knowing ourselves capable, believing that we have the necessary resources to overcome difficulties as well as knowing how to prioritise will help us in those moments to suffer less stress.
13. Teamwork
Most projects require that we collaborate with other people to one degree or another. Knowing how to work in a team means listening to the opinions of others and taking into account their experience and contributions. It also means respecting that they carry out project steps in their own way.
If we lead the project, it additionally means knowing how to coordinate the collaborators in the project by assigning them responsibilities and tasks so as to guarantee the progress of the project.
14. Communication and negotiation skills
Both to sell our project to others and convince them of its usefulness and to work as a team, these project management skills are key. It is important to know how to explain ourselves, know how to transmit our ideas and make sure that others have understood what we intended. Often, it will be necessary to reach an agreement with others that satisfies the parties involved. Either when assigning tasks or when we require resources for the project, we will need to negotiate.
15. Assertiveness
Assertiveness is a soft and communication skill. Being assertive means conveying our point of view at the right time in the right way. On the one hand, this requires confidence in ourselves and on the other hand good communication skills in order to defend our opinions, rights and desires. Whether we want to persuade others about the virtues of a project or contribute with our experience and point of view to one, assertiveness is one of the important project management skills.
16. Leadership skills
Leadership is not only the ability to coordinate and lead people, to persuade and inspire them to contribute their knowledge and experience to a project. It is also the ability to make decisions and to motivate ourselves. In order to persevere in our projects, we need to start by knowing how to lead ourselves.
17. Management skills
Although I have talked about soft and social skills so far, technical skills are of course essential when managing a project. Having management skills means knowing how to anticipate the requirements and resources, calculate the costs and forecast the potential income or savings. We also need to take into account the possible risks we face and care about the quality of the solutions developed.
18. Planning and organisation skills
Part of the project management skills is the ability to know how to plan a project. In other words, break up the project into its components and steps, plan the necessary tasks and organise the allocation of resources. To help with this task, there is a variety of project management applications. When we do not have a project software available, we can create a project plan in a spreadsheet.
19. Critical thinking
Managing projects also requires a critical look. This allows us to detect problems in the approach or during the development of the project. It helps us to adapt the project, if necessary, to changing circumstances or possible constraints. It even allows us to recognise if, for whatever reason, we should abandon a project.
20. Motivational skills
Last but not least, persevering in a project requires knowing how to motivate ourselves. We will not always feel inspired. We can also feel discouraged when there do not cease to arise issues that do not let us to devote ourselves to our project. That is when the ability to maintain (or recover) our motivation will be an essential help.
Do you have project management skills?
Are you good at managing projects and bringing them to fruition? After the initial emotion, do you have trouble persevering?
How many of these project management skills do you have? Which ones do you think you lack or need to improve?
