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Successful Project Manager skills: Problem Solving

I like problems, and that’s why I’m a project manager. Actually not all days are full of problems in projects, but you need to solve efficiently when anything arises.  There are techniques you can follow to be better. Think possible outcomes, crisis before they happen. For example recognize possible problems before they arise at all.  Risk management is related to problem solving, for sure.

To avoid problems communication is important. You must be clear and open.  Recognize before any issues exist in relationships between teams and departments. Sometimes also with people can be conflicts and project manager needs to be a peace maker. 

In a good problem solving strategies are needed to give direction. Since strategy is high level idea of outcomes, goals and objectives, make a project strategy. Put it part of risk management, recognize more than just the end products. Think about quality.

To be better project manager, enroll today to my course Strategic Project Management!

Successful Project Manager skills: Leadership Sharing, Long Working Time and Motivation

I had quite a small project team on-site and often just worked with one local assistant and implementation engineer. My job wasn’t to do much that time – just communication and on-site making sure all goes forward. My engineer had to work overtime daily. He wanted to stop the day, but it was so little to go so I asked him have his smoking time for awhile or took him for a coffee. Often I didn’t have to ask him again to continue. He just needed a break and time to think what I said.

Make sure your team can find solutions by themselves. Don’t always push and ask. Give and take time. Make an environment where responsibility is shared. This might be cultural in some countries.

To be better project manager, enroll today to my course Strategic Project Management!

Master project management skills with these video tutorials of leadership

Do you want to enhance your skills in essential project management success tools? This week's topic is leadership. 

 

If you're good with people, it should be a great start. In project management you use leadership to influence as well, and later in negotiations you need skills to see people's opinion and feelings - also behind. I have posted three Youtube videos which you can  take a look and master communication. Check these out: 1. general, 2. tools and 3. experience sharing. Don't forget to subscribe my Youtube channel to get alerts for new videos.

Successful Project Manager skills: Leadership Tools

Successful project managers must use document templates such as open issues, risks, tasks, etc. to follow each and every tasks from project plan.  Efficient leaders also keep track about their communication. Maybe some people can remember all what they have discussed with people, but this hasn’t been my strongest skill ever with hundreds of people involved.

To improve connections and relationships with the team. Leaders can ask for feedback and make it part of their everyday habit. It’s more important than go through expectations and goals every year, just once.  If you’re assigned to new project and meet people first time, ask for expectations or even make a survey before you meet them. 

To make sure you’re on the right road use well-known tools like balanced scorecard to follow KPIs and make it easy for others to understand them by communication. You can only verbally talk about current situation, and show these more clearly to steering committee and stakeholders. Go an extra mile when it’s needed, help or teach others how to use several project tools and systems. This will help you to show you can, but also people will trust your help later.

 

To be better project manager, enroll today to my course Strategic Project Management!