Is it based on personality? Knowledge? Experience? Training? Certification? Sense of humor? The ability to deflect micro-managing project sponsors, or the talent to befriend line managers who don’t like to share?
Doubtless, you have an idea of what makes a great project manager.
Maybe your opinion has been formed by years of experience. Or maybe you’re closer to the beginning of your project management career, and have a set of lofty criteria that you’ll strive to embrace as your (hopefully brilliant) career unfolds.
Well, before I open up the floor and invite you to share your thoughts, opinions and advice, here’s my list of the 5 traits that make a great project manager:
1. COMPETENCE
It’s a bit strange that this should even be on the list, since, frankly, competence should be a given when we’re talking about ANY project managers, let alone great ones.However, just like any field, there are some people who go around claiming to be project managers who ought to be “invited” to pursue another career. That may sound a bit harsh, but incompetent project managers -- even if they happen to be rather friendly and the kind of people you really like hanging out with -- ultimately cost other people their jobs (not to mention in some cases their health and sanity, too).
2. DECISIVENESS
Great project managers know three things about decisions: how to make them, how to stand behind them, and how to adjust to the context of a situation in order to make the best decision possible. So that means they don’t make knee-jerk decisions when they have weeks to gather information. It also means they don’t wait until the last possible moment in order to make a decision. They “read” a situation and use that awareness to make the best decision possible. Frankly, nothing more can be asked of a project manager than that.3. VISION
Great project managers have the ability to see several steps ahead. They can also anticipate the likely consequences of today’s actions on tomorrow’s scenarios, and proactively avoid problems before they emerge (is there a better way to solve problems than to prevent them from happening in the first place?).And on top of this, great project managers never lose sight of the fact that everything everyone does is always about the project -- not about them. That is, the needs and requirements of the project are paramount and always the priority.
4. COMMUNICATION
Let’s face it: projects rarely come in on time, on budget and in scope. It’s just not the nature of projects to be so obedient. In theory, yes, things are perfect. In reality? Not so much.Great project managers have the sophisticated communication skills it takes to navigate a project through inevitably choppy waters. Sometimes that takes assertiveness. Other times it takes the ability to negotiate and persuade. Whatever it takes, great project managers have the communication skills to get their message across and keep a project from going under.
5. STABILITY
As we all know, there are good days on a project…and there are bad days. Actually, most days have their fair share of both. Great project managers bring stability to projects. They’re a calm, level-headed presence in the midst of a frenzy of activity, and they can be counted on to be consistent in their principles. They don’t get too high when things are going great, and they don’t get too low when things aren’t. They’re passionate and take their work seriously, but they don’t let that interfere with their focus, or distract them from their purpose.And of course, it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that all project managers – not just the great ones – need to have the ability to use the right project management software, which is the kind that enables them to:
- advance their projects towards clearly defined goals
- share project information with all required stakeholders
- manage and monitor internal and external resources
- provide real-time updating and allow for intuitive progress reporting
- work anytime and anywhere without being tied down by IT infrastructure limitations (e.g. not enough licenses, not enough computers, etc.)
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