Are you considering a career change to project management? If so, you may be wondering if you have the right skills and knowledge. In this article, based on 10 years of my own experience, we'll explore the top skills and qualities necessary for a successful project manager. While some of these traits can be learned, others may be more difficult to acquire. Read on to learn what it takes to become a great project manager.
Am I the right person to manage projects?
To be completely honest the change of industries, in my case was not such a big shock after all. Before working on eCommerce solutions, I used to work for an Advertising Digital Agency. I was already familiar with the digital world. However, I had initial doubts similar to those I read about on websites and groups about career change:
- Do I have the right hard skills?
- Do I need to know a million technologies?
- Do I have the right soft skills?
- Is my English sufficient?
- How do I start?
- How do I get in?
As I have already had significant experience in project management and customer needs, I decided to pursue project management in the IT industry.
Was it easy from the beginning? No. Is project management a demanding profession? Yes. Is it for everyone? No. So if you are considering a career change, I encourage you to read on.
Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills: The Perfect Balance
If you have decided to become a project manager, you are surely asking yourself, what do I need to know? There are millions of answers to this question, and probably some truth in each of them. I would like to turn the trend around a bit and stir things up. I will start by saying that, a good PM is about 70% soft skills and 30% hard skills (more or less). I think that a PM does not have to be a technical person, but must have some knowledge aspects that will enable him or her to understand the team delivering the technology and the requirements set by the participants of the project.
Why? The daily work of a project manager mainly involves managing relationships - within the development team, within the client team, with many stakeholders, and with numbers, time, quality, and many other details that make up the project. And yes, I understand the voices that say that a PM must know the stack in which the development team works, for mutual understanding, but I believe that, for the purposes of correct and understandable communication, one does not need to be a specialist in a given field (of course, one can be).
Characteristics and skills essential for a Project Manager
As a PM, I don't have to be a developer to get along well with developers, but as a PM, I must understand their needs, problems, tasks, and requirements, as well as what we, as a team, recommend. So what characteristics and skills are crucial from my perspective? I will try to list the top ten, which certainly do not exhaust the topic, but from my perspective are crucial. And here you can take a deep breath - most of them can be learned. However... That's the thing. I will start with what may be knowledge acquired and useful in this profession:
Knowledge of project management
(methodologies, frameworks, the whole rich theory along with its colourful history and evolution). There are plenty of good courses with experienced practitioners that really broaden horizons and it's worth taking advantage of them. However, I do not recommend collecting certificates without understanding the given methodology or framework, because you will get a nice badge on LinkedIn, but it will not help you lead a project better.
Technical skills
Here it is similar. My advice at the beginning - determine your specialization, because otherwise, you will drive yourself to the brink of madness - there is a lot of knowledge, the internet kills with opportunities, and we suffer because we want to know everything, which is impossible - a bit of FOMO effect regarding knowledge acquisition. IT is a very general term - think about which area you would like to specialize in - it really helps, at least at the beginning.
Facilitation and problem-solving
These are topics that look good on CVs lately :) With these two, in my opinion, it is a bit more difficult - there are plenty of techniques that allow you to practice solving problems of various scales, similarly with facilitating meetings, but if you want to be really good at it - it requires experience, going through several projects (not always those shouted as successes) and relying on soft skills. However, these skills can still be practised to a degree that makes work easier.
Working under pressure (not just pressure of the time)
This can also be learned, or at least practice techniques for dealing with certain difficult aspects, but I am convinced that experience is the best teacher. Leading projects and getting to know many people with their expectations taught me the most. We all have different levels of stress resilience, but it can certainly be controlled to some extent. Ask yourself how well you can cope with stressful situations and whether you are ready for it. Even if the company culture you end up in provides a high level of psychological safety, remember that you will also be working with people from many other organizations whose cultures may differ.
We have reached the top five, the second five will not be so easy, because these are qualities and skills that are definitely harder to learn. For some, they may be unattainable.
Empathy and emotional intelligence
I mention them first intentionally. I believe that without these traits, it is tough to manage relationships (and projects) effectively. I always joke that if it weren't for people, every project would be a success. However, people (not just in IT) create projects. People who should foremost work together, otherwise we get a festival of expectations and a wall in the form of us-team/they-client/they-someone-else.
So who is the PM here - the link that connects, buffers, communicates - and the better you understand people and their needs, the easier it will be for you to accept that everyone is different, from a different context, and works from a completely different perspective. And of course, it will be much easier to navigate the maze of human needs and reconcile them in the name of the project being delivered - because that is usually our task. The most difficult one.
Decisiveness
The ability without which effective management is impossible. Ask yourself if you have the ability and courage to constantly make choices with all their consequences. PM must make decisions repeatedly during the workday, take responsibility for things, and bring them to completion. It's exhausting and stressful, especially since our selection base is often conflicting information. You should be able to make an objective decision - once again - in the name of the project, not the needs of a specific individual.
Effective communication
You can find a million guides on how to write emails, create tasks, and record requirements - it's fantastic that we have cheat sheets for everything, created by smart people. However, I believe that effective communication is not just about focusing on detail or creating formulas according to clear templates (which is essential). We have a range of great tools that largely do the work for us and provide templates for a super task, or all the charts and measures from which we can easily draw conclusions and pass on. However, this is the simplest part, and that's why I return to understanding people. PM should be able to listen, clearly articulate thoughts, and objectively communicate information. Often, they are the only person who has knowledge gathered from many people and should find a message that will be understandable for all parties and ensure that it means the same thing to everyone. In addition, we have a range of discussions that revolve around the project, which can be personal and not always positive. Sometimes, a PM is not only the project leader but also the leader of the entire team with its successes and problems. For me, effective communication is not only clearly expressed requirements or project scope but also the whole communication environment around it, primarily its human aspect.
Ability to motivate
It is certainly a skill that supports the entire communication process, both in difficult moments and when success is achieved. Good motivation can save many situations. Although it sounds like a truism, it is important both from the perspective of project success and taking care of the people who work on it.
Strategic thinking
I saved it for last, but that doesn't mean it's any less valuable than the rest. The project manager is primarily responsible for the project and delivering it within a defined scope, time, budget, etc. If you don't think strategically, you won't be able to anticipate, connect facts, and manage risks - the project won't happen. And it's not about making everything the responsibility of one person, but about being able to anticipate, react, and collaborate. This skill allows for ensuring safety not only in terms of delivering the project as expected but also allows its participants to go through it comfortably. The more you see, the less stress the whole team will feel around you. This is important, I would say, crucial.
Summary
A lot? It's just an outline of what is needed in this profession to be at least good. Before you decide that project management is the ideal place to start in IT - think if the role of a PM is for you. Don't start with astronomically expensive courses and certifications. Most of the skills you need to start with, you may already have. However, if you don't feel that working with people, their personalities, and requirements is for you, then quit. You can be great at filling out tables, creating charts, presentations, and management theories, but if you don't like people, you will always be tired. All hard skills work in your favour, but soft skills may be the key :) Do I think it's a good profession to start in IT - yes, just like any other, if you have the right set of competencies and an open mind.
