Essential Skills for Today’s Challenge
Project management is a dynamic and challenging profession that requires a combination of technical, leadership, and communication skills. However, these skills alone are not enough to succeed in today’s complex and uncertain environment. Project managers also need to develop and demonstrate some essential skills that can help them adapt to changing circumstances, lead diverse teams, and deliver value to their stakeholders.
In this article, we will explore some of the essential skills that project managers need to have in 2023 and beyond, and how they can acquire and improve them. These skills are:
- Adaptability and resilience
- Diversity and inclusion
- Innovation and creativity
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Emotional intelligence and empathy
Adaptability and resilience
Adaptability and resilience are the abilities to cope with change, uncertainty, and adversity, and to bounce back from challenges and setbacks. These skills are vital for project managers, who often have to deal with changing requirements, shifting priorities, unexpected risks, and stakeholder conflicts.
To be adaptable and resilient, project managers need to:
- Be flexible and open-minded, willing to adjust their plans and strategies according to the situation.
- Be proactive and anticipatory, anticipating potential changes and preparing contingency plans.
- Be optimistic and confident, focusing on the positive aspects of change and the opportunities it brings.
- Be resourceful and innovative, finding alternative ways to achieve their goals and overcome obstacles.
- Be persistent and determined, persevering in the face of difficulties and learning from failures.
Some ways to develop adaptability and resilience are:
- Seek feedback and learn from others who have successfully managed change.
- Seek new experiences and challenges that test your limits and expand your comfort zone.
- Seek support from your network of colleagues, mentors, friends, and family when you face stress or difficulties.
- Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques that help you cope with stress and emotions.
Diversity and inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are the recognition and appreciation of the differences among people in terms of their backgrounds, identities, perspectives, experiences, skills, and talents. These differences can enhance the performance, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving abilities of teams. Diversity and inclusion also foster a culture of respect, trust, collaboration, and belonging among team members.
To promote diversity and inclusion, project managers need to:
- Be aware of their own biases, assumptions, stereotypes, and prejudices that may affect their decisions and interactions with others.
- Be respectful and curious about the differences among team members, seeking to understand their values, motivations, needs, expectations, and preferences.
- Be inclusive and supportive of team members, ensuring that they have equal opportunities to contribute, participate, learn, grow, and succeed.
- Be collaborative and cooperative with team members, leveraging their diverse strengths, skills, knowledge, and perspectives.
Some ways to enhance diversity and inclusion are:
- Seek diversity in your team composition, recruitment, selection, development, recognition,
and reward processes. - Seek diversity in your sources of information,
- inspiration,
- and feedback.
- Seek diversity in your methods of communication,
- collaboration,
- and problem-solving.
- Seek diversity in your learning opportunities,
- exposing yourself to different cultures,
- industries,
- and disciplines.
Innovation and creativity
Innovation and creativity are the abilities to generate and implement new and original ideas
that add value to the project and its stakeholders. These skills are essential for project managers,
who need to deliver solutions that meet the changing needs and expectations of their customers, users, and sponsors.
To be innovative and creative, project managers need to:
- Be curious and exploratory, seeking new information, knowledge, and insights that can inspire them to think differently and creatively.
- Be imaginative and visionary, envisioning different possibilities and scenarios that can challenge the status quo and create value.
- Be experimental and iterative, testing their ideas and hypotheses through prototypes, pilots, and feedback loops.
- Be courageous and risk-taking, embracing uncertainty and ambiguity as opportunities for learning and improvement.
Some ways to foster innovation and creativity are:
- Seek inspiration from various sources, such as nature, art, history, science, or other industries.
- Seek collaboration with diverse people, such as experts, customers, users, or peers from different fields or backgrounds.
- Seek stimulation from various tools, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, design thinking, or agile methods.
- Seek feedback from various stakeholders, such as sponsors, mentors, coaches, or end-users.
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Critical thinking and problem-solving are the abilities to analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and apply information, data, and evidence to make informed decisions and solve complex problems. These skills are crucial for project managers, who need to deal with multiple variables, constraints, and uncertainties that affect their project outcomes and impacts.
To be critical thinkers and problem-solvers, project managers need to:
- Be analytical and logical, breaking down problems into smaller components and identifying the root causes and effects.
- Be evaluative and critical, assessing the validity, reliability, and relevance of information, data, and evidence that they use or encounter.
- Be synthetic and integrative, combining and connecting information, data, and evidence from various sources and perspectives to form a coherent and comprehensive understanding.
- Be practical and actionable, applying their understanding to make decisions and implement solutions that are feasible, effective, and efficient.
Some ways to improve critical thinking and problem-solving are:
- Seek clarity and accuracy in your problem definition, scope, objectives, criteria, and assumptions.
- Seek evidence and data to support your analysis, evaluation, synthesis, and application.
- Seek alternatives and options to expand your choices and possibilities.
- Seek feedback and review to validate your decisions and solutions.
Emotional intelligence and empathy
Emotional intelligence and empathy are the abilities to recognize, understand, manage, and express one’s own emotions, as well as to perceive, comprehend, respond to, and influence the emotions of others. These skills are vital for project managers, who need to build rapport, trust, and engagement with their team members, stakeholders, and customers.
To be emotionally intelligent and empathetic, project managers need to:
- Be self-aware and reflective, acknowledging your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations.
- Be self-regulated and disciplined, managing their own emotions, impulses, stress, and conflicts constructively.
- Be socially aware and attentive, observing and listening to the emotions, needs, expectations, and concerns of others.
- Be socially skilled and influential, communicating and interacting with others in a respectful, supportive, and persuasive way.
Some ways to enhance emotional intelligence and empathy are:
- Seek feedback and self-assessment to increase your self-awareness and self-regulation.
- Seek observation and active listening to improve your social awareness and attentiveness.
- Seek communication and collaboration to develop your social skills and influence.
- Seek empathy and compassion to deepen your understanding and connection with others.
Conclusion
Project management is a demanding and rewarding profession that requires a wide range of skills. However, some skills are more essential than others in today’s dynamic and complex environment. Project managers who want to excel in their role need to develop and demonstrate the following essential skills:
- Adaptability and resilience
- Diversity and inclusion
- Innovation and creativity
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Emotional intelligence and empathy
By acquiring and improving these skills, project managers can not only deliver successful projects but also enhance their personal and professional growth.
