Project managers are essential to the well-being of any organisation. Their role is important because they ensure that resources are made available, timelines are adhered to, objectives are reached, clients are kept informed and expenses are within budget.
The ideal characteristics of an effective project manager include:
Good communication skills
When your team is fully aware of what is expected of them, then you leave no room for error. It is human nature to avoid asking questions deemed “stupid”, but a good project manager knows that there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Clarity is key.
A great project manager will ensure that discussions and allocated tasks are followed up with an email confirming what was discussed, so that no one can use the “miscommunication” excuse. They will also set up regular meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page, and encourage the team to voice concerns.
Positive attitude
The seas will not always be calm when you’re working on a project. Clients have a tendency to want high-volume work at low cost with zero delays, and a good project manager expects nothing less.
But regardless of how well a project is planned, there will sometimes be unforeseen delays, like when the custom-made, biodegradable USB sticks you imported from China have melted in the sun ... Sometimes pitfalls simply cannot be avoided.
This is when a positive attitude and even temper come into play. A project manager needs to immediately communicate stumbling blocks to their client, come up with a solution, mobilise the project team and get the project back on track. They need to do all of this while remaining composed and keeping the team’s spirits up.
Tech-savvy
A good project manager must be able to use spreadsheets, timesheets, Skype chats, emails, Microsoft Project or any other similar piece of project management software available (Chase, Asana, Active Collab, etc.) to help track their projects.
Being tech-savvy allows the project manager to pre-plan tasks, determine where a project is running low on hours, and set up alerts for urgent and important deadlines. They should also encourage their team to learn and use the technology available, so that using shared online resources becomes their most powerful tool.
Proactive approach
Intuition, high energy and an ability to “see into the future” are the elusive traits that every good project manager should possess. These come with both experience and adequate self-care. A project manager who has previously found themselves in an unusual situation will be better prepared to handle themselves in future.
Good time management, note-taking and mental preparation (such as meditation) are practices that help maintain energy levels, keep the project manager motivated and decrease the chances of burning out.
Motivational skills
Most project teams, regardless of their size, are made up of a group of individuals with different skill sets, personalities and work ethics. Personalities sometimes clash, which causes conflict – some people are go-getters, while some are happy to work their eight hours and retire home to their families.
Everyone has different needs and capacities, so it’s up to the project manager to consider all of these aspects when planning a project. For example, if a team member is Muslim, the project manager needs to check how comfortable that person is working with an alcohol brand. Similarly, if a team member has young children, then they may be reluctant to work overtime as this might affect their quality of life.
The phenomenal project managers at Flow Communications share some pearls of wisdom about what they believe to be the most important attributes of a project manager:
"The key to being a great project manager is understanding the project and the product better than the client understands it themselves. To be friendly, cheerful and happy, all the time. It's crucial to plan every step of a project, to remain calm when the plan has to be pushed out and, most importantly, to have a sense of humour (it adds perspective)." – Gail, project manager
“A stitch in time saves nine! Proactivity is key in project management.” – Christelle, traffic and production manager
“You need to be an optimistic leader with good listening skills. It’s important to frequently observe and re-evaluate the priorities of the project, ask plenty of questions (even silly questions because there is no such thing) and adhere to timelines.” – Riefkah, project manager
“Understand the brief and ensure that regular reviews are set up during the course of the project with the various individuals who are working on it. This will avoid errors and through clear and regular communication will lead to a successful project and a happy client.” – Roshni, project manager
There you have it – the skills set required to be a successful project manager. In essence, if you are considering project management as a career choice, you need to be self-motivated, flexible and able to maintain a sense of humour in the face of daily challenges.