20 Essential Project Management Skills Every PM Must Have

Having technical knowledge won’t cut it if you want to excel in project management. As someone who knows the field inside out, I can tell you that there are many other essential project management skills you need to master to succeed. 

It’s not just about planning and scheduling but also about communication, leadership, and problem-solving. In this article, I will explain the 20 essential skills you need to become an effective project manager and succeed.

20 Project Management Skills Every Project Manager Should Have

Project management is a complex field that requires a diverse set of skills. Mastering these 20 essential project management skills allows you to delegate tasks, motivate your team, make informed decisions, and solve complex problems. You’ll also be able to manage budgets and risks, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts amicably.

If you want to take your project management skills to the next level, this article is for you. With these essential skills in your project management toolkit, you will be well on your way to achieving success in your career.

10 soft skills for project managers

Investopedia says, “Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s relationships with other people.” It’s true and applies more extensively in our profession, project management.

It is because, as project managers, we work with different agile project management tools, methodologies, and teams to ensure the project gets delivered on time.

Here are some of the key project management skills every PM must have:

Leadership Skills

Leadership is the ability to inspire, influence, and guide a group of people toward a common goal. It requires strong communication skills, the ability to make tough decisions, and a willingness to take responsibility for the outcomes. Effective leadership can lead to improved performance, increased productivity, and a more motivated team. Let’s learn various aspects of leadership skills.

1. Setting Clear Goals and Objectives

As a project manager, setting clear and achievable goals is crucial. Having well-defined goals helps your team stay on track and keeps them motivated and focused on what matters. It’s like having a compass to guide you through the project’s journey and ensure you are moving in the right direction. 

Without clear goals, it’s easy to get lost or sidetracked and lose sight of what needs to be done. So, if you want to excel in project management, ensure you can set clear and achievable goals and objectives.

For example, being a social media manager, you should clearly know your marketing campaign objectives. As per the goal, you can schedule posts on selected platforms using a social media scheduling tool such as RecurPost or Simplified, which is also among the most preferred buffer alternatives.

Similarly, being a social media manager you should also know how to leverage platforms like TikTok to expand your reach further. Get TikTok views to boost visibility as you grow your presence.

2. Delegation

As a project manager, delegation is a crucial skill to have in your toolkit. This means finding the right person for each task, ensuring they understand what’s expected of them, and providing the necessary resources to get the job done. 

By doing this, you can ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. Monitoring progress is also important so that you can step in and provide support if necessary. Effective delegation helps to keep your team organized and on track, which is essential for meeting project goals and deadlines. 

By having this same skill set, you can trust your team to handle tasks and responsibilities, giving you more time to focus on the bigger picture of managing the project.

3. Motivation and Team Building

A great project manager knows how to inspire their team to do their best work. To build an effective team, it’s important to understand each team member’s strengths and weaknesses and give them opportunities to grow. 

Creating a positive team culture is also crucial. This means promoting open communication, mutual respect, and collaboration. By building a strong and supportive team, project managers can ensure that their projects are completed on time and to a high standard. Remember, a team that works well together can achieve great things!

4. Conflict Resolution

It’s normal to experience disagreements or issues in a project, but a project manager should be skilled in resolving them. To handle conflicts effectively, it’s crucial to identify the main issue, listen carefully to everyone involved, brainstorm possible solutions, and find a solution that satisfies all parties. 

This way, everyone can move forward and continue working together smoothly. Conflict resolution is an essential skill for project managers as it helps maintain a positive work environment and prevents issues from escalating. 

Handling conflicts with empathy, respect, and professionalism is essential to build stronger relationships among project management professionals and team members. With these conflict resolution skills, project managers can successfully manage project challenges and ensure project success.

5. Decision-Making

As a project manager, you will have to make many critical decisions during a project’s lifecycle. To make effective decisions, you need to gather all the relevant information, analyze the options available, weigh the pros and cons of each, and make an informed decision that considers the impact it will have. This means you must also make timely decisions that don’t stop progress or cause delays. 

By mastering the skill of decision-making, you can lead your team with confidence and achieve your project goals successfully. Remember, your choices can impact your project’s outcome, so take the time to evaluate each option and make the best decision for your team and stakeholders.

Communication Skills

Communication expertise is essential for project managers. It involves conveying information clearly and concisely, listening actively, and adapting to different communication styles. Effective communication fosters trust and collaboration among team members and stakeholders, ensuring project success.

6. Active Listening

As a project manager, it’s essential to be a good listener. Active listening means you are not just hearing what someone is saying but also paying attention and trying to understand their point of view. 

It’s important to show your team members that you are interested in what they have to say and that you care about their ideas and opinions. When you actively listen, you create a positive and trusting environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. 

This helps build strong relationships and ensures everyone is working towards the same goal. So, the next time someone is speaking, put down your phone or step away from your computer and give them your full attention. Ask questions and show that you are invested in the conversation. 

By doing so, you will improve your interpersonal and project management skills and show your team members that you value their input and respect their contributions.

7. Verbal Communication

For the best project managers around, it’s important to communicate well with your team, stakeholders, and clients. That means you need to be able to speak clearly and confidently and adjust your message to fit the situation.

Good verbal communication helps you avoid misunderstandings and keep everyone on the same page. When you are clear and concise, people can understand what you are saying and act on it. And when you tailor your message to your audience, you are more likely to get their buy-in and support.

Of course, not everyone is a natural communicator. But with practice, you can improve your verbal communication skills. Try to speak slowly and clearly, and avoid using jargon or technical terms unless you are sure your audience understands them. Use examples and stories to illustrate your points, and be open to feedback and questions.

Overall, effective verbal communication is a critical skill for project management. Learning to speak well and adapt your message to different situations can build stronger relationships, inspire confidence, and get better results.

8. Written Communication

Project managers need to communicate effectively in writing at various stages of project management. It includes writing emails, reports, and project documentation.

When writing, it’s crucial to be clear, concise, and accurate to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings. Using the appropriate formatting and tone is also important, as it can impact how the message is received.

In today’s digital age, written communication is a crucial project management skill that can make or break a project. With so much information being shared online, it’s important to ensure that your writing stands out and is easy to understand. This means avoiding jargon and technical language and using plain language that everyone can understand.

When writing, it’s also important to consider the audience. Tailoring your message to the audience can help ensure that it is received well and that everyone is on the same page. For example, if you are writing to stakeholders, you may want to use a more formal tone and include more detail than if you were writing to your team members.

Effective written communication is one of the essential project management skills. By mastering this skill, you can ensure that your messages are clear, concise, and accurate and that your project runs smoothly.

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9. Non-Verbal Communication

As humans, we don’t just communicate with words. Our body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice also convey a lot of information. To become a successful project manager, you need to be aware of these non-verbal cues, as they can greatly impact how your message is received.

For example, crossing your arms during a meeting can signal that you are closed off or defensive. Smiling and maintaining eye contact can show that you are engaged and approachable. 

The tone of voice can also make a big difference, as a monotone delivery can come across as disinterested or unenthusiastic. In contrast, a confident and passionate tone can inspire and motivate.

Knowing these project management skills helps project managers better understand their team members and stakeholders. By paying attention to body language and other non-verbal cues, project managers can gain insight into how their team members feel and respond accordingly.

Non-verbal communication is an essential aspect of effective communication in project management. By being aware of body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, project managers can better communicate their message, understand their team members, and achieve project success.

10. Presentation Skills

In addition to other project management skills, project managers must also have good presentation skills to convey their project progress, results, and recommendations effectively. 

To be good at presentations, a project manager needs to know how to adapt their message to their audience, be clear and brief in their delivery, use visuals to help communicate their message, and actively engage their audience.

Being able to tailor a message to the audience means that the project manager needs to understand who they are presenting to and adjust their language, tone, and delivery to match the audience’s needs.

They also need to be able to communicate their message clearly and concisely so that the audience can easily understand what is being said.

Using visuals can be an effective way to communicate complex information in a simple way. It can help the audience better understand the project’s progress and results. Visual aids can include diagrams, graphs, charts, and images.

Lastly, engaging the audience is important to keep them interested and attentive during the presentation. This can be done by asking questions, encouraging discussion, and being open to constructive feedback.

By developing these presentation skills, project managers can effectively communicate their and the project team’s progress, results, and recommendations, ultimately increasing the likelihood of project success.

Top 9 project management hard skills

Hard skills, often known as technical skills, are project management skills that can be acquired through education or training. Hard skills are crucial in project management because they enable project managers to work effectively using various project management methodologies.

Technical Skills:

Technical expertise refers to a person’s specialized knowledge and skills in a particular field or subject. It encompasses understanding complex technical concepts, troubleshooting issues, and applying problem-solving techniques. Having technical expertise is crucial for professionals in technology, engineering, science, and other technical fields.

11. Project Planning and Scheduling

Project managers must have strong technical skills, including the ability to plan and schedule effectively. This means defining the project scope, creating a schedule that works for everyone, and identifying important milestones along the way.

You also need to have a good idea of the resources that you require to complete the project successfully, whether it’s time, money, or personnel. By having a solid plan in place, you can avoid scope creep and keep the project on track by ensuring that everyone involved knows what they need to do and when.

Effective planning is key to making sure that your project is a success. It helps you stay organized, keeps everyone on the same page, and ensures you have the resources you need to complete the job.

“I really like the fact that there are these milestones. It helps me visually see where I need to pause and work on overdue work vs constantly filling my queue. It was very Asana-esque. Really loving the time feature so I can see how much time I’ve spent.” – Kassandra K., Head Of Programming Training & Digital Marketing

So, if you are a project manager, be sure to develop your planning and project scheduling skills to confidently lead your team to success.

12. Budgeting and Financial Management

Having strong budgeting and financial management skills is crucial for project managers. They need to be able to create and manage a project budget and a project management methodology, keep an eye on project costs, and make informed financial decisions to ensure the project stays within its financial boundaries.

Creating a project budget involves a project plan, identifying all the necessary costs to complete the project, and allocating funds to each area. Managing the budget means tracking expenses and ensuring that the project doesn’t go over budget.

Project managers must also be able to make informed financial decisions to ensure the project is successful. They need to weigh the costs and benefits of various options and choose the one that aligns best with the project’s goals and financial constraints.

Overall, effective budgeting and financial management skills are essential for project managers to ensure the project’s financial success. With a firm grasp of budgeting and financial management, successful project managers can make informed decisions that keep the project on track and within its financial boundaries.

13. Risk Management

One of the less talked about project management skills, risk management, is vital to ensure that a project runs smoothly and achieves its goals. It starts by identifying any possible risks that may arise during the project’s lifespan, evaluating how likely they are to occur, and the impact they might have.

Once the risks have been identified and evaluated, strategies must be developed and implemented to prevent or reduce their impact on the project.

A risk management plan is a critical component of project management as it helps project managers to stay on top of potential threats and prevent or minimize any negative impact on the project’s success.

Risk management strategies may include developing contingency plans, assigning tasks to team members, setting up communication channels, and regularly monitoring the project’s progress.

Effective risk management requires a proactive approach, which means being prepared for potential risks and having plans in place to mitigate their impact. It also involves being flexible and adapting to changes in the project’s environment to identify and address risks promptly.

By implementing effective risk management strategies, project managers can minimize the negative impact of risks and ensure that their projects are completed successfully.

It’s important to remember that risk management is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and updating to stay on top of potential threats.

14. Quality Management

Quality management is an important aspect of project management as it ensures that the project deliverables meet or exceed the expectations of all the project stakeholders. This involves setting up quality standards, identifying ways to measure the quality, and then implementing processes to monitor and improve it constantly.

It helps ensure that the project meets all the requirements, is delivered on time and within the budget, and is of high quality. 

By implementing quality management, project managers can ensure that the project is successful and that the stakeholders are satisfied with the results. Overall, quality management is critical to the success of any project. It requires constant attention and monitoring to ensure that the project is on track and delivering the best possible outcomes.

15. Change Management

Change is a natural part of any project, and it’s essential to manage it properly to reduce its impact. Effective change management involves carefully evaluating the impact of any changes and communicating them clearly to everyone involved.

It’s also important to implement effective strategies to handle changes and keep the project on track. This can involve creating contingency plans or making adjustments to timelines and budgets. 

The key is to proactively manage changes so they don’t become major issues later on. By managing change effectively, project managers can keep their teams informed and motivated, minimize disruptions, and ensure the project’s success. So, it’s crucial to keep change management in mind throughout the entire project, from planning to execution and beyond.

Problem-Solving Skills

Effective problem-solving involves identifying problems, analyzing them systematically, and finding innovative solutions that meet stakeholders’ needs while managing risks and constraints. It is an essential part of project management success.

16. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is one of the essential project management skills. It involves objectively analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions and solve problems.

By applying critical thinking, project managers can assess project requirements, identify potential risks and challenges, and devise effective mitigation strategies.

Critical thinking skills help project managers anticipate and address potential issues, leading to more successful project outcomes. It fosters logical reasoning, independent thinking, and the ability to consider multiple perspectives, enabling project managers to make well-informed decisions and adapt to changing circumstances.

17. Analytical Thinking

Analytical thinking is a skill that helps project managers solve complex problems. It involves using logic and critical thinking to analyze a situation, breaking down complicated problems into smaller pieces, and analyzing them systematically to understand the root cause.

This method allows project managers to make informed decisions and identify possible solutions to complex problems. 

Analytical thinking is an essential skill for project managers as it helps them approach problems with a logical and objective mindset and make better-informed decisions. 

With analytical thinking, project managers can dissect complex problems, find patterns and connections that may not be immediately obvious, and develop effective solutions. 

This skill is particularly important in project management, where unexpected challenges and obstacles can arise at any moment. By honing their analytical thinking skills, project managers can improve their ability to manage projects successfully.

18. Resourcefulness

Being resourceful means making the most of what you have to tackle obstacles. This skill requires you to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions to work around limitations. 

It’s about identifying what you can do with the resources at your disposal and making them work for you to overcome any challenges that come your way. Whether it’s finding new ways to complete a task or making adjustments to the plan, resourcefulness is a valuable skill in project management and everyday life. 

So, next time you face a hurdle, take a moment to think about how you can be resourceful and overcome it!

19. Adaptability

Being adaptable is crucial for successful project management, especially in the fast-paced business world. This means quickly adjusting to changes in circumstances, priorities, and requirements. 

In other words, it’s about being flexible and open to different ways of doing things to achieve the desired outcome. Without adaptability, project managers may struggle to keep up with the ever-changing demands of their projects, which could ultimately hinder the project’s success.

Therefore, it’s important to cultivate an adaptable mindset to thrive in the constantly evolving landscape of project management.

20. Negotiation Skills

Having effective negotiation skills is critical for project managers to succeed. It involves finding solutions that work for everyone involved and resolving conflicts in a friendly way. Negotiating involves being a good listener, understanding the needs and interests of all parties, and communicating effectively. 

Having negotiation as project management skills gives project managers an edge over others. It helps them build relationships, gain stakeholders’ buy-in, and ensure everyone is happy with the outcome. Effective negotiation can also help project managers manage risks and resolve issues before they become more significant problems. 

In short, negotiation is an essential skill for project managers to master, and with practice, anyone can improve their negotiation skills and achieve success in their projects.

Conclusion

Effective project management requires a wide range of project management skills that go beyond technical expertise. Project managers must possess leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills to manage teams, communicate with stakeholders, and solve complex problems. 

To become a successful project manager, you need to master these 20 essential project management skills in order to deliver projects that meet stakeholders’ needs and achieve their business objectives.

Developing these project management skills (technical skills & soft skills) takes time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. With practice and dedication, project managers can excel in their careers, lead successful projects, and drive their organizations’ success.

You can use Nifty to gain a competitive edge over other project managers because, using Nifty, you can take care of communication, project planning, resource allocation, time management, and more!

Sign up for free to see it in action.

FAQs

How to develop project management skills?

Developing project management skills requires a combination of knowledge, experience, and continuous learning. Here are some steps to enhance your project management skills:

1. Education and Certification: Project Management Institute offers various courses and certification programs. Use them to upskill yourself.
2. Hands-on Experience: Gain practical experience by actively participating in projects.
3. Continuously learn and stay updated
4. Seek mentorship for guidance and insights.

Why is project management a good skill?

Project management is a highly valuable skill as it enables effective planning, organizing, and controlling of projects. It helps achieve project goals efficiently, mitigates risks, improves communication, ensures stakeholder satisfaction, and enhances overall productivity and success in various industries and professional roles.

What are project management hard skills?

Project management hard skills are specific technical abilities that are necessary for effectively managing projects. Some examples of project management hard skills include:

1. Project Planning
2. Risk Management
3. Budgeting and Financial Management
4. Quality Management
5. Stakeholder Management
6. Change Management
7. Resource Allocation
8. Technical Knowledge
9. Communication and Collaboration

These hard skills are essential for project managers to successfully plan, execute, and complete projects within scope, time, and budget constraints.