What makes project management interesting and demanding is that it requires a great deal of time, expertise and aptitude for managing things. Hence, there are specialists called project managers to handle project management. The project manager’s job is much more than estimating, managing and delivering the project within specific time duration and a limited budget.

1. Required Skills for Project Managers!
Project Management is part and parcel of every business. It is a systematic approach to managing and
controlling new initiatives or changes in an organization. Projects, often time-bound, involve completing a
number of activities within a given duration and a fixed budget.
What makes project management interesting and demanding is that it requires a great deal of time,
expertise and aptitude for managing things. Hence, there are specialists called project managers to handle
project management. The project manager’s job is much more than estimating, managing and delivering
the project within specific time duration and a limited budget.
The project manager is responsible for:
• Planning the project in detail
• Organizing the team to work on it
• Communicating the project status on a regular basis to the concerned stakeholders
• Adhering to the time schedule and budget
• Closing the project
His responsibility starts at the inception of the project. At this stage, he estimates the time it will take to
determine the pricing and profitability. Time Estimates should take into account all the delays and
disruptions to work. A realistic time estimate is very critical to a project’s success.
Cost Management is about creating a budget for the project. The manager should skillfully budget all the
resources from people and tools to equipments and more. A project manager’s skill lies in finishing the
project in the said budget.
The project manager should have the ability to obtain competent people for the project. Hiring the right
people for the job is an ongoing process throughout the project lifecycle. The manager should have
Strong Interpersonal Skills and be able to motivate and encourage his team members to work in
collaboration with him. He should also be able to address and resolve problems within the team and assist
in resolving any project conflicts.
It is essential for the project manager to have Effective Communication Skills. Lack of good
communication skills can result in misunderstanding and delay in completing the project. The manager
must be able to communicate information clearly and concisely to his teammates and stakeholders.
The project manager should have the ability to work and build relationships with people from top to
bottom level within the organization. He should have the required Technical Know-How needed to do
the job. If the manager lacks much-needed technical skills, he or she should be trained, coached or
mentored by an experienced person. Though the manager may not do the ground work, his technical skills
and knowledge will definitely help him during the development and implementation stage.
The manager should have Good Presentation Skills as he is the link between the customer and his
organization. He should be able to update and convince the customer on the progress of project at each
stage. The skills are many and varied, hence the list is exhaustive.
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