1. Project Management Skills
To be a successful project manager, you must be an effective leader with the ability to influence change
as well as influence other team members. You must be a highly organized person with the ability to
multitask in a fast environment. You must be well-versed in project management techniques with the
ability to adapt to change.
In a nutshell, a project manager is responsible for working with project sponsors to define scope, budget
and time line. Once these areas are defined, the project manager must initiate the project and work
with a cross-functional team to deliver the final implementation on-time, within scope and at or under
budget.
The following skills will lead to a successful project and are essential project management skills in
today’s market.
1. Interpersonal skills: Possibly one of the best attributes a project manager can exhibit is
interpersonal skills. Being effective in this area means that a project manager is able to build a
rapport with the project team. This means that a project manager is willing to listen to their
team such that each team member has a feeling that they are important to the project. The
project manager is also able to communicate to all levels of the organization.
2. Management skills: Strong management skills are key to a successfully led project. Most of the
times a project manager is responsible for managing team members that they have no direct
influence over. It’s critical that the project manager has the respect of the team members and is
able to achieve maximum response from team members.
3. Organizational skills: Being organized is critical in life, but being an organized project manager is
taking it to the next level. The project manager is responsible for managing every aspect of the
project, from the project plan, risk mitigation plan, to the project resources. The project
manager must know what is going on with the project without error.
4. Technical skills: Understanding both the business needs as well as the technical solutions helps
the project manager understand the entire project. As an example, a software project manager
does not have to be a fluent software engineer, but they must understand proper software
design in order to successfully manage the program.
Along with the soft skills listed above, a project manager must be well versed in various aspects of the
project management gamut. A successful project manager will have many, if not all of the following
project management skills at their disposal. Obviously a project manager must be fluent in project
tracking, issue resolution and risk mitigation, but it is also very helpful to be versed in process
development and execution. Change management is also a critical aspect of project management that
doesn’t fall directly on the project manager, but when necessary it is important for the project manager
to understand change management and how important it is to any project.
When it comes to demonstrating these project management skills, what better way to demonstrate
your skills than to attain affirmation of those skills? A project manager has several avenues for doing
this. Some of the best and most sought after project managers have a PMP certification. Many don’t
stop there; they also pursue other certification such as ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure
Library) and Six Sigma.

2. The project management skills that you possess will go a long way in helping you pass the PMP
certification.
Can you answer the above call? Not many can, but those that do are gainfully employed and will be for
the long run.