Five characteristics of your perfect project manager?

PM qualities

Experience and expertise alone is not sufficient for effective project management

When you have a large, complex project to undertake, it’s important to get the right people in place to lead it. Key among these will be the project manager. You will need the person you select to have the expertise and experience to lead a team and keep the project on track. He or she will need to display good management skills, financial awareness, and good time management habits. But is this range of skills enough?

Here we look at other attributes that will help your chosen project manager lead your project effectively.

1.      An inspirational optimist

Most projects go through tough periods. The project manager will need to remain upbeat and inspire the team to complete milestones, learn from mistakes, and carry on with renewed vigour to a successful conclusion.

2.      Knowing where the buck stops

A good project manager won’t pass the buck. He or she will accept responsibility for the project, and the milestones on the way to completion. The good project manager will step in and help team members, helping to gel colleagues into a cohesive group with a shared goal.

3.      Problem solving

If the project hits a roadblock – perhaps something that is beyond the control of the project manager, such as bad weather conditions or problems with suppliers – it will certainly help if your project manager is a creative problem solver. This doesn’t mean taking short cuts, but it does mean the project manager needs an innovative nature.

4.      Good with people

Project teams are a diverse bunch. Then there are customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, too. The project manager should be a good communicator, and be at ease with all forms of communication (e.g. face to face, email, presentations), and communicating to different types of people. A project manager with a high level of emotional intelligence will have the communication skills to read situations and judge how others are likely to react, making people management easier.

5.      A sense of humour

A sense of humour is a must. People respond better to those with a sense of humour. Laughter is the best medicine in most situations (if not all).

Will you hire the best project manager for the job?

The best project manager must have the experience and expertise needed for the job, but he or she must also be approachable. A positive attitude, a good sense of humour, and people skills will help the project manager create and motivate a high-performance team. In addition, the ability to think quickly and outside the box should ensure that unforeseen problems are solved with creativity and with fewer negative effects on the project as a whole.

To find your perfect project manager, contact Your Project Manager:

contact your project manager