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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Successful Project Managers Have...


Have recognized leadership traits

Be a great communicator
Have a sense of humor (often)
Have integrity
Be driven to succeed
Have great project management skills
Be disciplined
Be able to think strategically
Be a good listener (active listening)
Be compassionate
Make good decisions


How does a new project manager obtain and hone these skills?  My quick answer is a blend of education, experience, on-the-job training, mentoring, and a continuous feedback loop.  In order to move from good to great we must work to improve our skills and focus on our strengths; however, we must also identify and minimize or eliminate our weaknesses. 

Finally, great project managers like working with people. They like challenges, they have an even temperament, and they are a motivating influence to those around them.  Good PMs don’t just plan and delegate, they get involved and become part of the team. 

2 comments:

* said...

Be tough and require responsibility. Everyone should be expected to keep their commitments. People who make commitments and are allowed to sidestep those commitments become a drag on the resources and the responsiveness of the organization. Their performance should be brought into alignment with those commitments. If through honest repeated efforts that alignment cannot be accomplished, the drag must be eliminated from the project by any way possible.

Have compassion for the person, but also respect for the organization and for the consistent contributors. Holding everybody accountable is a visible indicator of respect.

Anonymous said...

Are we talking about humans?