Top Skills every Project Manager Must Have

Having an extra set of hands will allow you to focus on the aspects of the business you are familiar with most. On the other hand, an experienced professional who possesses all of the necessary skills of a Project Manager will handle all the nitty-gritty and more complex tasks.

A Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that all major or minor business efforts are a success. They work towards a goal or a set of goals that guide them in every decision. They stay on top of the project, from research and planning to execution and monitoring. And after launch, they head all departments to maintain its success.

However, getting exceptional results is never that easy. You still have to hire the right person for the job, someone familiar with your niche, and someone who fits your company’s culture.

In line with this,what are the things you need to look out for when hiring a project manager, anyway? Read on as we enumerate the top 5 skills of a Project Manager you need to know!

Time Keepers

An effective project manager is someone who values your time. They will ensure that there are no backlogs  that could delay any project’s implementation.

Moreover, they utilize tools and software that help manage projects effectively and submit deliverables on time. 

Regularly, you receive updates from a good project manager. Even if you are engaged in other activities such as client hunting, you stay fully aware and in control of your business.

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Highly-organized

A proactive project manager will provide you with the ultimate convenience by keeping things accessible and organized. Your project manager makes sure that your business is easy to run and scale while intuitively listening to your team’s needs.

Imagine implementing a new process that no one seems to understand? Yup, I bet you experienced it once.

Apart from implementing systems that streamline your business, a good project manager helps your team members adapt to it quickly and effectively.

Problem-Solvers

A good project manager can see a flaw from a mile away. They take the time to read through collaterals and significant documents to prevent future problems that can result from even the simplest of typos.

But they are not limited to paperwork. You can also rely on them to fix issues in your business processes and teams. 

They stay alert for weaknesses and areas to improve in your business, rather than waiting for disaster to happen. At the same time, they proactively create solutions and react swiftly to challenges.

Excellent Communicators

An efficient project manager will go out of their way to guarantee that everyone is on the same page. 

While they may sound constantly looking for issues and challenging your business process, they help you and your organization ask the right questions and see the bigger picture.

Good communication and leadership skills often go hand-in-hand. Project managers tend to connect departments or team members that are not comfortable working with one another. They motivate and lead collaboration amongst the team to ensure that all deliverables are created accurately and on time.

Because of this, the ability to communicate well immediately makes it to the top 5 of skills you should look for when hiring a Project Manager.

Effective Leaders

The ultimate test of a good project manager is someone you can trust to run your business even when you are not around.

As business owners, we think we are the only ones qualified to lead our team.

Having a project manager means having a partner in managing your business. 

Effective project managers are excellent decision-makers, capable of delegating responsibilities and identifying the most-equipped team member to handle them. A study conducted by Barna Group in 2014 showed that good leadership can truly impact team performance. Specifically, it was found that employees with bad leaders are more likely to be distracted at work, or feel very negatively about their working environment.

As a result, you can confidently take a few weeks of leave and know that your business will stay profitable even when you’re not around.

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Tasks You Can Entrust to a Project Manager

Now that you know what a Project Manager does, here are the essential tasks your Project Manager must already be doing to guarantee the success of your project. 

Assign responsibilities to team members who are suitable for the job

Project Managers are responsible for overseeing a project. This means that they must also take charge of ensuring that all task deliverables are met. 

A Project Manager does this by assigning the right people to perform tasks based on their skill criteria. This also means that an effective Project Manager must be able to read their team members, and strategize who should take the lead in particular tasks. 

Set attainable goals with realistic time frames

Project Managers must be fully aware of the team’s capabilities when it comes to accomplish numerous deliverables. With this knowledge, they must set goals that are realistic given the available manpower, resources, and skill sets at hand.

Create a file management system

Project Managers must ensure that each team member has access to the files they need to proceed with their individual tasks. This means setting up a file management system that is accessible and organized in a way that each team member is able to adapt to the system.

So, is hiring a Project Manager essential for your business? The simple answer is: Yes. Especially if you are an entrepreneur who aims to scale, having a person in your team with these skills can help you reach the top. 

Getting a project manager that possesses the above mentioned qualities will do wonders for your business and your personal life as well. With someone to handle all the dirty work, you will have more time to sit back and relax. Here at BC Creatives, we have competent and highly-skilled Project Managers with all of the aforementioned must-have qualities, and much more.