-
Two Types of Workflow: Software and Human System
May 24, 2012
-
10 Benefits of a Project Management Software System
May 24, 2012
-
Spotting a Failing Project: 9 Warning Signs
May 23, 2012
-
Values of Effective Project Managers
May 23, 2012
-
Calm in the Eye of the Storm
May 23, 2012
-
Management by Heroics
May 22, 2012
-
Project Planning for Project Sponsors: Why You Need To Be Involved
May 22, 2012
-
Lost in Projects - Integrated Project Management
May 22, 2012
-
10 Warning Signs that Your SharePoint Implementation May Be Heading for Difficulty
May 21, 2012
-
Smaller is Better and More Effective
May 21, 2012
Seven Essential Skills to Look for in Project Managers
July 9, 2010 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Project Management Best Practices
Seven Essential Skills to Look for in Project Managers
By Kerry Wills
I have recently created some new job postings for Project Managers which lead me to start thinking of the skills that I look for in a Project Manager. To me, I always assume that the fundamentals are there (use of MS Project, understanding of plans, risks, etc.). Therefore I look more for traits and management style.
Some big ones for me are…
- Sense of urgency – Follows up on actions, decisions, etc
- Ability to look at project metrics and gauge progress and risks
- Good relationship with the team members (being seen as approachable means they get status and risks known early)
- Solves problems vs raising them
- Ability to make decisions and facilitate meetings and closure of open items
- Responsiveness to issues and action items
- Stays on top of his/her work and doesn’t need reminders from me
I find that most resumes are filled with acronyms and certifications but it is very hard to distinguish if that means people will be solid Project Managers. That’s why I try to ask situational questions to see how someone would approach the situation.
What are other skills that people look for or view as important in Project Managers today?
Kerry Wills is a proven Program Manager/Portfolio Manager with an extensive background in Project Management, consulting, and application development. Kerry has consistently demonstrated the ability to plan and implement large and complex projects on time and on/under budget. Kerry runs a blog, Adventures in Project Management.
feel free to leave a comment
Comment Guidelines: Basic XHTML is allowed (a href, strong, em, code). All line breaks and paragraphs are automatically generated. Off-topic or inappropriate comments will be edited or deleted. Email addresses will never be published. Keep it PG-13 people!
XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
All fields marked with " * " are required.
- Agile Project Management
- Ask the Hut
- Certification
- Change Management
- Communications Management
- Computer Based Information Systems
- Concepts
- Corporate Transformation
- Cost Management
- Critical Chain Project Management
- Delegation
- History
- HR Management
- Implementing Project Management
- Integration Management
- Lessons Learned
- Management
- Miscellaneous
- People Issues
- PMBOK
- PRINCE2
- Procurement Management
- Program Management
- Project Lifecycle Phases
- Project Management Advantages
- Project Management Advantages
- Project Management as a Career
- Project Management Best Practices
- Project Management Charts
- Project Management Definitions
- Project Management Ethics
- Project Management for Beginners
- Project Management Guides
- Project Management Musings
- Project Management Office
- Project Management Proposals
- Project Management Templates
- Project Portfolio Management
- Project Workforce Management
- Quality Management
- Requirements Management
- Risk Management
- Scheduling
- Scope Management
- SCRUM
- Soft Management
- Time Management
- Training
- Uncategorized
2 people have left comments
If more people would try to solve problems over raising them we’d all be in business! Definitely a good point to have in a project manager.
Also, urgency is a must, otherwise things stagnate.
A few tips on project management.
Adaptability is a key area that I would be looking at when recruiting a new PM. When I have reviewed resumes in the past I have found there is too much focus on one particular technology/application area. I would much rather employ someone who can show demonstrated ability to adapt to any new circumstance/technology/application or project they are assigned to by drawing from a toolbox of core skills which are outlined quite well in this article.
I would add one very important attribute to this list being the ability to learn from experience, not only as a PM but to share key learnings from project reviews & retrospectives with the project team, stakeholders and colleagues. This is an essential skill as it allows the PM to adapt and undertake process improvement for future projects - good things really do come out of unsuccessful projects if the reason for the project being unsuccessful are understood and shared.