A project manager is an individual appointed by the executing organization to lead a team to achieve the project goals. The skills that a project manager must have in order to do the job of project management are shown in the diagram.
1. Apply domain knowledge, standards and rules
Projects are categorized by application area, and projects in the same application area have some common elements that are important factors for some projects but not necessary for all projects. Each application area usually has a set of accepted standards and practices, often written in the form of rules.
In the information system integration project, the project manager is required to master the knowledge of the application field, the standards of computer software and hardware, and the standards and specifications of the computer room.
2. Project Environment
The project management team should consider the project in its social, political and natural environment context.
(1) Social environment. Project team members need to understand how the project affects people, and how people affect the project. This requires an understanding of the economic, demographic, educational, moral, racial, religious and other characteristics of those affected by or interested in the project.
(2) Political environment. Some members of the project team may need to be familiar with some of the applicable international, national, regional and local laws, customs and political climate (climate) affecting the project.
(3) Natural environment. If the project will affect the natural environment, some members of the project team should have a good understanding of the local ecology and physical geography that affects (or is affected by) the project.
3. General management knowledge and skills
General management (general management) includes planning, organizing, personnel, executing and controlling the operations of a running organization, and it includes a number of supporting disciplines.
General management provides much of the foundation upon which to build project management skills. Generally speaking, they are important to project managers. Many general management skills are required for any given project.
4. Interpersonal skills
Project managers work through the project team and other stakeholders. In the final analysis, project work is done by people. Therefore, how to deal with the relationship between people is a must-have skill for project managers. Skills in dealing with interpersonal communication usually include the following aspects: leadership, team building, motivation , communication, influence, decision-making skills, political and cultural awareness, negotiation, trust building, conflict management, coaching techniques.
(1) Leadership: The ability to make a group work towards a common goal and work as a team. Leadership is the ability to get work done through others. Respect and trust are key elements of effective leadership. Throughout the project, project team leaders are responsible for establishing and maintaining vision, strategy and communication, fostering trust and team building, influencing, directing, and overseeing team work, and evaluating team and project performance.
(2) Team building: Helping a group work collaboratively with each other and with leaders, external stakeholders, and the organization around a common goal. Excellent leadership and team building will result in teamwork.
(3) Motivation: The project team is composed of people with different backgrounds, expectations and personal goals. The success of the project depends on the project team's sense of responsibility, which is directly related to their degree of motivation. The motivation in the project needs to establish an atmosphere , to ensure that both project goals are achieved, and the most important aspects of the individual are targeted to maximize the satisfaction of team members. These aspects include job satisfaction, job challenge, sense of achievement, success and growth, adequate financial reward, and other rewards and recognition that members deem necessary and important.
(4) Communication: In order to achieve effective communication, project managers should understand other people's communication styles, cultural differences, personalities, and communication scenarios. Listening is an important part of communication, and listening techniques (both active and passive) provide insight into problems, strategies for negotiating and conflict management, decision-making and problem-solving.
(5) Influence: The project manager enables others to cooperate for a common goal by sharing power and using interpersonal skills. Team members can be influenced based on the following principles: lead by example and always demonstrate accountability; make decision-making transparent; use interpersonal skills flexibly to adapt to the audience.
(6) Decision-making ability: The common decision-making methods of project managers are command, consultation, negotiation and random (coin toss), and the main factors affecting decision-making methods are time limit, degree of trust, quality and acceptance. The project manager can make decisions alone or allow the project team to participate in the decision-making process.
(7) Political and cultural awareness: Due to the different backgrounds and expectations of project stakeholders, political issues in the organization are unavoidable. Clever use of politics and power can help project managers succeed, and vice versa can bring projects into trouble. Today, project managers live in a global environment where many projects exist in a culturally diverse environment. By understanding and exploiting cultural differences, the project management team is more likely to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and win-win results.
(8) Negotiation: A meeting with people with the same or opposite interests in order to reach a compromise or agreement.
(9) Build trust: The ability to build trust among project stakeholders is a key component of effective team leadership.
(10) Conflict management: Conflicts are inevitable in projects. Inconsistent requirements, competition for resources, poor communication, and many other factors may become the origin of conflicts. Conflict can have a negative impact on a project, and project managers must find the cause of the conflict and actively manage it to minimize potential negative impacts.
(11) Coaching techniques: Coaching techniques help team members recognize their potential abilities through empowerment and development. Using coaching techniques can help team members improve existing skills, as well as help them acquire new skills necessary to ensure project success.