Project Management Skills to Develop

GOAL: How Do You Set the Stage?

As project managers know, it’s important to set the stage from the get-go. As I mention in my book, it’s like producing a movie without setting the stage first—no script, cast, production staff nor stage.

As project manager, you’re the movie producer. Would you want to start a project without a plan? With a practical plan in hand, you’ll also need to grasp these other skills to continue managing your project for solid results.

Seeing the Potential for Success
Sigmund Freud noted, “We are who we imagine others believe we are.” If we believe what we perceive, and then achieve, we’ll definitely see successful results with our impassioned endeavors. We’ll never let roadblocks keep us from detouring safely on to our destination.

Assessing Team Member Skills
An effective project manager is able to size up their own and team members’ talents and skills in contributing optimally to getting tasks done. Most of all, you as team leader, must have the gumption and resilience to bounce back from hitting road bumps—of which there will be quite a few. Don’t even think of failure to dilute your positive energies!

The Tool is Only as Good as the Owner
There are numerous software tools for project planning—such as Microsoft Project, for example. But until you’ve mastered the software, it’s a waste of resources, time and emotional energy to get up to speed it to use it, while trying to manage a project, as well.

Instead, I suggest using what works to track:

1. Project status
2. Tasks (deliverables)
3. Key dates (milestones)
4. Decision makers (stakeholders)
5. Risk or issues

Establishing Resources
And, it’s time for the cameras to roll! This stage is called, “PMO” or project management office. That’s when you gather people, equipment, facilities and every item needed to implement your project—from the very start.

And, as project manager, you need to instill confidence in every team member.

BIO: A corporate executive and entrepreneur, Angela Brister is the author of When Life Hands You A Project, Manage It! Visit http://www.projectmanageit.com/ for more online project management ideas. You're welcome to quote from this article and credit the source to Angela Brister at: http://projectmanageit.blogspot.com/.