critical thinking skills for project manager

Critical Thinking Skills and activities for Project Managers

Weaving critical thinking into your projects

Brought to You by Dave Litten

CRITICAL THINKING IS A CORE SKILL OF SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGERS

Think back to how project management is applied. Activities, methods, processes, procedures and techniques only go so far... Think about planning, monitoring and control.

Think about estimating and identifying risk respnses

Think about project strategies and approaches

Think about project controls

Think about delivery approaches

ALL of the above, and more, depend 100% upon Critical Thinking.

Think You Can Do WITH Critical Thinking?

Critical Thinking Skills and activities for Project Managers Critical thinking is for everyone yet few are able or willing to do it. Critical thinking is a set of transferable skills that can be learned for one thing yet equally useful for any other. Critical thinking cuts across all academic disciplines and is applicable in all spheres of human activity - particularly project management where it becomes a toolbox for driving both career and project success. So what are the key activities, abilities and attributes of a critical thinker? Analytical skills Like any one skilled in debate, critical thinkers demand properly constructed arguments that presents reasons and more sound conclusions Tolerance Critical thinkers delight in hearing diversion views and enjoy a real debate Confidence This is key since critical thinkers must be confident and able to examine views made by others, often those in authority Curiosity This is the essential ingredient for ideas and insights Truth seeking The critical thinkers are looking for objective truth even if it turns out to undermine their own previously held convictions and long cherished beliefs and even if this goes against their own self interest "There goes another beautiful theory about to be murdered by a gang of facts" You need to learn how to identify other peoples arguments and conclusions and go on to interpret and produce your argument more effectively. This means you will want to read between the lines, see behind services and identify false assumptions. To be successful as a project manager it is vital that you apply critical thinking within the planning, monitoring, and control of your projects

The Soft Stuff Matters

Critical thinking skills is the backbone to Critical Decision-making, which in and of itself, leads to successful change management and project delivery success. But don´t take my word for it…just listen to The Project Management Institute (PMI), and their Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK) 6th Edition now includes The Talent Triangle:

Check out the “technical, strategic and business management bits above…these cannot be learned by rote alone.

See, Critical Thinking Skills is about a range of skills and understandings – the kind of open-mindedness that allows you to make creative leaps and gain insights.

Get this...

Demand over the next 10 years for project managers is growing faster than demand for workers in other occupations. Organizations, however, face risks from this talent gap.

This talent gap analysis shows that project managers are important contributors to productivity. Talent shortages in the profession can potentially create risks of nearly $208 billion in GDP over the next 10-year period up to 2028

The latest PMI-commissioned talent gap analysis has found outstanding opportunities in jobs and career growth for project managers.

From the present day up to 2028, the project management skills and jobs are expected to grow by 33 percent, or nearly 22 million new jobs.

By 2027, employers will need nearly 88 million individuals in project management-oriented roles

If you need to become a Project Management Professional (PMP), then click below

What has this to do with Critical Thinking Skills and activities for Project Managers?

To answer this, we need to look again at the life-skills of critical thinking…

Critical thinking Questions - The Assertibility Question (AQ) This weeds out wobbly views having shaky evidence from sensible theories that are worth serious consideration. To use AQ you ask what evidence allows you to assert that the claim is true.

This will include questions such as:

• Does the idea fit well with common sense or is it crazy?
• Who proposed the idea, and is the person biased towards it being true?
• Have statistics been used and presented in an honest way, and are they backed up with references to other work that supports the approach?
• Does the idea explain too much — or too little — to be useful?
• Have they been open about their methods and data?
• How many artificially decided settings are there that constrain and affect the theory?

Every day we are bombarded by problems and situations needing to be evaluated and solved.

The challenge is to view these from different perspectives and all too often we make decisions only based on previous similar situations or experiences.

This can lead to cloudy decision-making since we are often affected by emotional thinking, poorly prioritized facts and external influences that may not be relevant.

Then compare and contrast this with critical thinking which builds a rational and open minded process built upon information and empirical evidence.

Critical Thinking Skills Definition:

“ an intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information that has been gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication ”

Critical thinking provides the skills to judge and evaluate situations that is based on understanding the related data. It is analyzed to build a clear understanding of the problem, a proper solution identified, and then to take actions based on that solution.

The power of the critical thinking process is that it prevents our minds from jumping directly to conclusions, and instead, leads the mind through a set of logical steps to widen the range of perspectives, to accept the findings, sidestep personal biases, and consider reasonable possibilities.

Critical Thinking - The 6 Basic Steps

To determine what are the critical thinking questions, here are the six basic steps:

Step 1. Knowledge Here, we need a clear vision, starting with identifying the argument or the problem that needs to be resolved. Open questioning is used to acquire a deep understanding about the problem or situation. This involves the use of open ended questioning to discuss and explore the main reasons or root causes. A clear understanding must be obtained of what the problem is and why do we need to solve it. Step 2. Comprehension You need to fully understand the situation along with the facts that align and support it. The way in which you collect such facts will depend upon the research methods used, and this in turn will depend upon the problem, the type of data and information available, and any constraints. Step 3. Application This is the next practical step following comprehension, and builds to fully understand the different facts and resources needed to solve the problem. Mind maps are helpful here to analyze the situation while building a strong relationship between it and the core problem while resolving the best way to move forward. Step 4. Analyze This step builds on the information and linkages identified from the main problem, and analysis to close to identify the strong and weak points plus the challenges faced one identifying a solution to the problem. The main causes are prioritized to determine how they can be applied, and one of the most often used tools here to analyze the problem and those circumstances that surround it, is the cause and effect diagram, which isolates the problem from its root causes and identifies such causes so that they can be categorized on their type an impact on the problem. Step 5. Synthesis Once the problem has been fully analyzed and the related data has been considered, a decision needs to be taken how the problem can be solved along with the initial set of actions required. If there are several identified solutions, then each should be evaluated and prioritized to identify the best solution approach. It is here that SWOT analysis can be helpful in identifying the solutions strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats.

SWOT Analysis

If they are to interpret and use the SWOT analysis, the project can form the strategy based on the following factors:

• ​​ ​​ Strength vs. opportunity . The strategies or approaches build on the available existing strengths and how they may be used to leverage existing or new opportunities
• ​​ ​​ Weaknesses vs. opportunities. This strategies suggest ways of overcoming existing weaknesses while building new potential opportunities
• ​​ ​​ Strengths vs. threats. These strategies identify approaches to build on the organization, product, or project strengths while reducing threats and risk to the main objectives.
• ​​ ​​ Weaknesses vs. threats. These are strategies designed to prevent such weaknesses from the influenced by external threats.

Step 6. Take Action The final step is to build a problem valuation that can be put into action, as the final result of critical thinking should be transferred into actionable steps. Within a project, a plan of action should be implemented to ensure that the solution is adopted and implemented as planned. Summary The critical thinking method is used to replace the emotions and biases when dealing with a situation or a problem. The advantage of using critical thinking is its contribution to widening perspectives about situations and providing a broader range of action choices to ensure that the decided resolution is implemented and integrated between all the involved individuals and organizations.

Critical Thing Tools

The Cause and Effect Diagram

The cause and effect diagram is helpful when exploring problems and their solution:

How to solve problems using the cause and effect diagram The cause and effect diagram is also known as the Ishikawa diagram or fishbone diagram. For its successful use, a clear problem definition is first needed so that the proper solution can be targeted.

Additionally, the root causes behind the problem must also be carefully analysed. The Ishikawa diagram has two main sections, causes on the left hand side, and effect on the right-hand side.

Possible problem causes are thought through by creating branches from the line that links cause and effect. This type of diagram has a focus on solving problems rather than exploring ideas which is normally the case when applying critical thinking skills. The headings used to brainstorm the various problem causes, can vary from industry to industry, and as an example here are typical cause headings for three industries:

• The service industry. S urrounding, S uppliers, S ystems, S kills, and S afety
• The manufacturing industry.   M achine, M ethod, M aterial, M anpower, and M easurement
• The marketing industry. P roduct, P rice, P lace, P romotion, P eople, P rocess, and P hysical evidence

There are four steps to create the Fishbone diagram:

• 1 Identify the problems. The defects, or problem, results from one or several causes, for these reasons the problem must be clearly identified so that potential related causes can be investigated
• 2 A straight horizontal line should be drawn as a link between cause and effect, so that general causes such as the three cause models mentioned above can be drawn as branches from this main line
• 3 ​ Once the main general categories have been added, all possible causes for the problem can now be investigated and organized under the general categories
• 4 The final step is to investigate and discuss each possible cause and organize them in priority and influence order

Critical Thinking and Mind Mapping Mind mapping is a tool to help understand ideas and collaboration. Those who use Mind mapping for critical thinking can improve their productivity by 25%. It is also used to support the project management process and can easily be integrated when performing project management planning. I include here an excellent example (not my own) showing how the use of diagrams and colors help convey easily identified and remembered relationships. As stated at the center of this diagram, this is an example of brainstorming the various elements of time management:

Critical Thinking  - Real World Example

Here at Projex Academy, we have the market leader in online streaming training the world´s project management community. Our Flagship training course is for the PRINCE2 Methodology. First, I generated a Mind map on the structure and application of the PRINCE2 Methodology, then I performed root cause analysis to determine customer-demand potential training spin-offs. This resulted in created TWO new products - BOTH of which are UNIQUE to the project management training industry. They are:

• PRINCE2  SCRUM Masterclass for fast-to-market and high ROI projects
• PRINCE2 Lite for tailoring and blending smaller projects

Both have been selling like hot cakes since their launch a few months back - click on their images below to find out more... THANK YOU Critical Thinking!

Want to become a PRINCE2 Practitioner?

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Study anywhere, anytime at your own pace. We will be at your side every step of the way.

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• Project management |
• The 25 project management skills you ne ...

The 25 project management skills you need to succeed

Anyone who oversees projects is a project manager, but to become a more thoughtful manager (with a higher impact), you need to develop the right project management skills. Learn what skills are necessary to become a successful project manager and how to build them.

If you’re interested in honing and developing your project management skills, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll cover 25 key skills you need to succeed as a project manager or project administrator , and how you can develop those skills over time.

What are project management skills (and why do they matter?)

Project management skills are the attributes you develop to become a more experienced project manager. Building a project management skill set includes learning technical and hard skills, such as portfolio management and project scoping, and soft skills (for example, adaptability).In honing these skills, you’re preparing yourself to more effectively perform in your role. 

Project management is the practice of organizing and executing work efficiently—and helping your team do the same. For a while, project managers had to be trained and certified in complicated project management technology. Traditional project management tools were hard to set up and required constant maintenance, which is where the position “project manager” comes from.

Modern project management tools

Modern project management evolved from traditional project management in two distinct ways. As companies and teams democratized their project management processes, they needed more team members and team leads who were able to manage a process from conception to completion. In order to support those team leads, project management software has also evolved, from complex mechanisms to flexible and easy-to-use tools.

Today, any team member may be called upon to run a project and become the de-facto project manager—which is why modern project management tools are built to be flexible enough for anyone to use on any project, so you’re able to jump in and hit the ground running. 

These tools, like Asana , make it easy to track, manage, and organize work—without the learning curve associated with traditional tools. With today's project management tools , you can easily implement project management best practices and bring a new level of clarity and visibility to your project team. 

How to use your project management skills

Project management tools do the heavy lifting when it comes to reducing silos, increasing visibility, and facilitating cross-functional collaboration. As the project manager, you can use these tools to give your team the insight they need to get their best work done. While you don’t need to learn complicated skills or tools in order to become a successful project manager , there are hard, soft, and technical skills you can develop in order to improve your management and collaboration skills.

Some of these skills might not apply to you—while others might be things you’re already seasoned in. Like everything in the five phases of project management , approach this list with flexibility and work on the skills that are most relevant to you.

10 soft skills for project managers

Soft skills are what we call “non-technical skills,” or skills that can help you improve your quality of work—without a specific tool or technical requirement. These are also called “people skills” or “interpersonal skills” because they often help you work with and relate to others in your workspace. These 10 skills are the most important soft skills for project management:

1. Collaboration

Collaboration is the cornerstone of all project management skills. In project management, collaboration helps you get work done quickly and more efficiently. When you can coordinate across teams, you gain valuable insights into your project that you might not find within your team. If more minds are involved in the work, projects are inherently more creative and well developed.

To improve your collaboration skills, practice having conversations. Use techniques like active listening , where you stay engaged and focused when others are speaking to you. It sounds simple, but learning how to have open communication, reduce boundaries, and co-create are critical for a collaborative team.

2. Teamwork

Everyone on your team has something to bring to the table, and your team is more effective working together than they would be alone. Teamwork ensures that everyone feels welcome, valued, and they are supported to contribute.

If you’re working to boost your teamwork skills, dig deeper into team brainstorms , 1:1 conversations, and ask for feedback from your team—how can you be a better team member? Notice if there’s someone who hasn’t spoken up in a while, and be supportive when another team member has a new idea.

3. Communication

Miscommunications are common when you’re working with a group of people. Learning how to communicate well and avoid these will make projects run more smoothly and be more enjoyable. 

To develop your communication skills, practice being open and honest with your coworkers. This requires a lot of trust between you and your team members. To build this trust, encourage your team members to bring any thoughts into a discussion—even if you disagree with them.

4. Time management

Time management and organization skills go hand in hand. As you become better at organizing your tasks, you’ll also have a clearer sense of everything that’s on your plate and how long your upcoming tasks are going to take.

Still, it can be hard to buckle down and prioritize your work. To improve your time management skills and reduce procrastination, try prioritizing tasks. When you’re clear on which tasks are higher priority, you can tackle them first, to make sure nothing gets left behind or falls through the cracks.

5. Leadership

Even if you don’t think of yourself as a leader or have a role in team management, when you’re managing a project, your project team is looking to you for leadership, guidance, and support. 

To develop your leadership skills, practice approaching situations with empathy and understanding. Good leaders bring everyone together and make them feel supported to foster teamwork and collaboration.

6. Organization

For a lot of project managers, organization is the most intimidating soft skill. You might think organization is either something you “have” or “don’t have.” But, like every other project management skill in this article, you can develop your organizational skills and become a Marie Kondo in your own right.

The best way to become a better organizer is to create (and maintain) a central source of truth for your work and your team’s work. We’re often disorganized because work is disconnected—in fact, the average employee switches between 10 tools per day . Instead of splitting your time between 10 tools, try using a digital organization tool to act as that one central source of truth for your team.

7. Problem solving

Problem solving skills are collaborative, iterative skills that help you approach a problem and, ultimately, solve it. Developing problem solving skills isn’t about always having the “right” answer to every problem—rather, people with great problem solving skills practice approaching problems from new perspectives and methodically working towards a solution.

To become a better problem solver, use data-driven decision-making frameworks or routine analyses. For example, if you need to solve for how to boost sales by 10% over your competition, you can run a competitive analysis to determine where you currently stand in the market. Then, use that information to solve the problem of lower sales. In this case, you could develop a new marketing strategy coordinated with the sales team.

8. Critical thinking

Critical thinking, like problem solving, doesn’t have a “solution.” You can’t “win” at critical thinking, but you can practice approaching problems logically instead of making decisions based on your emotions. Good critical thinkers practice analyzing information in front of them and forming their own conclusions based on the facts—the way Sherlock Holmes solves a mystery.

To practice critical thinking, always take a step back and ask yourself: how did I come to this conclusion? Could there be another answer? Am I being swayed by something other than factual information? Emotional decisions aren’t necessarily bad—in fact, some of the best decisions are those we’re passionate about. But critical thinking is a helpful way to make sure you’re approaching a situation from the right perspective.

9. Adaptability

At some point, whether it’s this project or the next one, aspects of your project plan will change. Maybe your deadline or priorities shifts, and you need to adapt your workflow accordingly. Great project managers are able to pivot and adapt to new situations to continue steering their project team in the right direction.

Becoming more adaptable is all about understanding when and how to shift gears. To do this, you need to understand yourself. Developing other soft skills, such as self-awareness and mindfulness, can help you be more in touch with and manage your emotions, which are often in flux during times of change.

10. Conflict resolution

Inevitably, conflict will arise during the projects you manage. It could be that a stakeholder wants to change the project scope. Or maybe you missed your budget or deadline. Conflict resolution is about addressing both sides of the conflict so everyone feels heard and supported. If there are harmed parties, take the time to listen to them and try to find a solution that works for everyone. Even when that can’t happen, approaching the conversation with patience and empathy can help defuse a potentially frustrating situation and lead to a better result.

7 hard skills for project managers

Unlike soft skills, hard skills are quantifiable abilities. While the soft skills mentioned above are applicable for many work skills, these seven hard skills are relevant specifically to project management. Developing these will help you become a more well rounded and efficient project manager.

1. Project planning

At its core, a  project plan  (sometimes called a project charter) is a blueprint of the key elements your project needs to succeed. Typically a project plan will include seven things:

Goals and  project objectives

Success metrics

Stakeholders  and  roles

Scope  and  budget

Milestones ,  deliverables , and  project dependencies

Timeline  and  schedule

Communication plan

Some of these things, like your goals or your milestones, might already be defined in your project roadmap or brief. But your project plan is where all of these project elements come together to create a cohesive picture of your upcoming work.

A lot of planning goes into the beginning of the year for what our vision is and where we will be by the end of that particular year. Once that is done, we summarize it in a project so it's visible to everyone... Having that visual representation in Asana makes it easier to move things around.”

2. Project scoping

Project scope is the size, goals, and limitations (i.e., deadlines and resources) for your project. Your project scope will define what you can achieve within a certain timeframe and budget. Setting and defining your project scope is important in order to prevent scope creep , which is when your project deliverables outgrow your original project scope.

In order to improve your project scoping skills, practice setting project scope early and often. Once you’ve set your project scope, share it with stakeholders and surface it frequently, so everyone is on the same page about the project’s aims and limitations. Use it as a point of reference, so you know when to say no to new asks.

We have been able to reduce the number of products that we’ve oversold and the number of times we have to contact the customer to push a ship date out.”

3. Writing a project brief

Your project brief outlines your general project objectives and how you plan to get there. This can serve as a helpful North Star to guide planning sessions.

The most important thing to remember about your project brief is that it’s a living document. As you develop your project plan and get input from stakeholders, you can adapt and update your project brief. In general, your project brief should contain a link to your project roadmap if you created one, a list of your project stakeholders and their responsibilities  (sometimes called a RACI chart), other relevant documentation or files, and any other high-level information your team might need.

Having executive oversight and insight into projects is key so we can quickly get up to speed on what is happening at any point.”

4. Hosting a project kickoff meeting

A kickoff meeting is an opportunity to align with your project stakeholders. This is your chance to clarify your project goals and scope, and share any documents you’ve already put together like your project roadmap, project brief, or supplemental documentation like a bill of materials for a marketing campaign or a creative brief for a design team.

To host a successful kickoff meeting, plan to share the documentation you have put together with project stakeholders. Then, host a brainstorming or Q&A session to align on any additional variables, like budget,  resources , or final deliverables.

5. Project roadmapping

A project roadmap is a high-level overview of your project’s key deliverables and timeline. Project roadmaps are helpful for complex initiatives with a lot of stakeholders because they help the entire project team get on the same page before the project even starts.

Traditionally, project roadmaps are created in Gantt chart-like software , in order to display a general schedule of your project as a horizontal bar chart. To create a project roadmap, use a tool like Timeline in Asana to create a rough timeline of your project, adding key milestones or important dependencies.

6. Mapping your project timeline

Your project timeline is the order and duration of events during your project lifecycle. Knowing your project timeline helps your team track project success and deliver the right assets on time.

In order to build a great project timeline, make sure you clarify the start and end dates of your project, as well as any key milestones. As you continue building out individual tasks and deliverables, set dependencies between tasks, and clarify the start and end date of each piece of work.

7. Task management

Once your project is officially underway, task management refers to how well you manage your and your team’s time. The best project managers have visibility into what their team is working on in real-time, so they can help their team effectively prioritize and execute work.

But you don’t have to magically know everything that’s happening in your project—instead, use task management software.  Task management software  is more than a to-do list—it’s a way to get a holistic view of all of the work happening in your project. With effective task management, you can empower your team to work more productively, efficiently, and effectively.

With Asana, we can see project progress and blockers, plus feedback and action items, all in one place. We're now able to complete work more efficiently and effectively, which has become even more critical while working from home. We’d be lost without it!”

8 technical skills all project managers need

Soft skills: check. Hard skills: got it. The only thing you have left to master are technical skills!

Technical skills refer to your knowledge of specific tools and softwares within project management. These tools aren’t hard to learn—as we mentioned before, modern project management is built to be flexible and easy to use. These eight skills are aspects of project management roles you should become familiar with, so you know when and how to leverage them.

1. Project management software skills

Project management software  has come a long way from legacy tools that were difficult to use and required a project management professional to implement. But like any tool, even easy-to-use ones, the software you choose takes time to learn and truly master. Make sure the tool you select has a written  guide  and  helpful videos  to teach you the ins and outs of how to use it.

2. Gantt charts

Gantt charts are a way to visualize your project as a horizontal bar chart, where each bar represents a piece of work and the length of each bar represents the amount of time that work will take.

Project milestones

Dependencies

Real-time project progress

Start and end dates

Traditional Gantt chart technology can be tricky to use and limited in scope, which is why, at Asana, we took the best of Gantt chart technology and created  Timeline , a Gantt-chart like tool that helps you see how all of the pieces fit together.

Launching an album has so many moving parts, and Asana helps us track every detail, who’s responsible for it, and when it needs to be completed.”

3. Kanban boards

Another popular type of visual project management is the  Kanban board . Each column in a Kanban board represents a stage of work, like  New ,  In progress , or  Done . Individual work is represented by cards, which move through the columns until they’re completed.

Kanban boards tools  are a popular visual project management tool for lean project management teams, particularly product, engineering, and software development teams. They’re an Agile methodology , designed to be adaptable and flexible to adjust to development needs in real-time.

4. Agile management

Agile management is a lean project management methodology that’s particularly popular with product, engineering, and software development teams. Agile operates on a system of continuous improvement and incremental evolution, and it encompasses several lean methodologies, like lean portfolio management ,  Scrum , and  Kanban .

In order to manage an Agile team, it's the project manager’s job to coordinate between team members and stay flexible. This can mean changing the project schedule, aligning with teams working on a different project, or just staying in touch with effective communication.

5. Workload management

If you’ve managed projects before, you know how hard it is to gain clarity on who is working on what—but it doesn’t have to be.  Workload management  helps you measure your team’s bandwidth and make sure they aren’t over- or under-worked. It’s an interactive process that doesn’t have a beginning or end state—rather, an effective project manager will continuously monitor their team’s workload to ensure no one is burning out.

There are two steps to using workload management software . First, start by figuring out your team’s capacity, competencies, and current workload. From there, allocate resources based on individual workload, or rebalance workloads as needed.

6. Cost management

In project management, cost management is considering how each task impacts your budget at every stage of the project. Cost management is a key part of project leadership, and an important element of whether or not your project is a success. Staying within budget is as important as hitting your project due date, and cost management can help you get there.

To manage cost effectively, good project managers define their costs and budget at the beginning of a project. Make sure project stakeholders and team members all understand the budget. Then, during the project, keep cost and budget in mind. Check in on your spending several times during the project to make sure you aren’t overshooting your budget. Once the project is completed, tally predicted cost vs. actual cost to determine how effective your cost management strategies were. This can also help you benchmark for future projects.

7. Project portfolio management

With project portfolio management (PMM), you can get a bird’s-eye view of your team’s work across multiple projects. Unlike traditional project management, PMM involves working on multiple projects or large-scale initiatives simultaneously. Project portfolio management tools help you get a holistic view of all of your team’s work in real-time, so you can connect strategy to execution.

Portfolios are also a key Asana feature for our team. It is a great tool for our executive team so they can see our big pieces of work all in a single place with the status, progress and ownership. Our CEO visits our portfolio daily and adds comments. He loves to be able to see what's going on in a snapshot.”

8. Change management

If you’ve ever rolled out a big organizational change, you’ve likely practiced change management, even if you didn’t know it. Change management is the process of introducing organizational change—like new processes or tools—over a set period of time to make them easier to adapt to.

At Asana, we use the Asana Way of Change, a six step process developed by our Customer Success team that incorporates proven change management strategies. To learn more,  read our guide to change management .

The standard of our creative team, for a while, was just to react to work. But we’ll never do the best work we possibly can without a clear process.”

How to build your project management skills

Twenty five skills might feel like a lot, but remember that you don’t need to master every skill in this list. Some, like Agile, are only relevant for specific teams. Others, like organization, become virtually effortless with a little focus and great tools .

Keep in mind that developing your project management skills takes practice. Challenge yourself to focus on one or two new skills for each project—whether that’s trying out a new  visual form of project management  like Kanban, drafting your first ever project plan, or leaning into time-management.

There are also classes you can take to develop hard and soft project management skills. Though you no longer need certifications in order to be considered a project manager, the  Project Management Institute  (PMI) offers courses, learning events, and their famous  Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) , which was the first project management guide ever published.

Finally, once you’ve  selected a project management tool , you can also take their classes to learn technical project management skills. At Asana, we’ve developed the  Asana Academy  and  How to Asana  series to help new project managers learn new soft, hard, and technical skills.

Build your project management toolkit

If you manage a project, you’re a project manager—and you likely already have some key project management skills. The most important thing is to be intentional, listen to your team, and collaborate with your team members. The rest will follow.

Project management doesn’t need to be complex. Asana was designed specifically to keep project manager’s organized, with tools, automations, and customizations built for collaborating and coordinating everything from a simple brainstorming session to a full-fledged product launch. 

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Mastering the art of project management is like conducting a symphony of tasks, deadlines, and stakeholders. It's a dynamic dance that requires a unique blend of technical prowess and exceptional leadership. Project Managers are the orchestrators of success, ensuring that projects hit all the right notes.

But what skills does it take to lead this harmonious ensemble and deliver projects that dazzle? This blog unveils the skills of a project manager that are a must for every project manager. From mastering the art of effective communication to honing the ability to adapt seamlessly, we will delve into the essential skills that distinguish seasoned professionals from novices in project management. 

What are Project Management Skills?

Project Management Skills refer to a set of abilities and competencies necessary for effectively planning, organizing, executing, and controlling projects. These skills encompass various areas, such as leadership, communication, time management, problem-solving, risk management, and resource allocation.

A proficient project manager can define project objectives, develop comprehensive project plans, coordinate team members and stakeholders, monitor progress, mitigate risks, and adapt to changes, ensuring successful project delivery within defined time, budget, and quality constraints.

“According to a 2021 report by the Project Management Institute (PMI) , the main professional organization in the industry, employers must hire approximately 2.3 million project management professionals globally every year to meet demand by 2030.”

15 Essential Skills of a Project Manager

In the dynamic world of project management, possessing diverse skills is the key to orchestrating successful projects. A project manager's role goes beyond just managing timelines and resources; they drive project success, bringing together teams, stakeholders, and resources to achieve goals. Therefore, project managers must possess a unique blend of essential skills to excel in this multifaceted role. Below we explored the 15 essential skills for project managers must master.

Hard Skills of a Project Manager

In the dynamic field of project management, possessing diverse hard skills is essential for success. These technical abilities enable project managers to plan, execute, and deliver projects on time and within budget. Below is a list of valuable insights into the hard skills necessary for success in the dynamic world of project management.

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1. Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication is crucial for project managers to convey ideas, expectations, and project requirements to team members, stakeholders, and clients. It involves speaking clearly and actively listening, understanding non-verbal cues, and adapting communication styles to different audiences. Project managers must be skilled in written communication to create clear documentation and reports. Additionally, they must deliver compelling presentations to convey project updates and proposals effectively.

2. Strategic Planning and Organization Skills

Strategic planning is the ability to think critically and develop comprehensive project plans. Project managers must define goals, break them into achievable tasks, set realistic deadlines, and identify dependencies between tasks. They must allocate resources effectively, considering team availability, budget constraints, and project priorities. Organization skills are vital in maintaining project documentation, tracking progress, and managing project schedules.

3. Risk Management Skills

Risk management involves identifying potential risks and developing strategies to mitigate or respond to them effectively. Project managers must be skilled in conducting risk assessments to identify potential threats, analyzing their likelihood and impact, and developing risk response plans. They need to proactively monitor risks throughout the project and take appropriate actions to minimize their impact. Problem-solving abilities are crucial for addressing unexpected risks and finding solutions to mitigate them.

4. Budgeting and Financial Management Skills

Project managers are responsible for managing project budgets and finances. Therefore, they must possess cost estimation, creation, and tracking skills to ensure that projects stay within the allocated budget. Financial management skills involve monitoring expenses, tracking project costs, and making informed decisions regarding resource allocation and cost control. Additionally, project managers need to conduct financial analysis to assess the project's financial health and make data-driven decisions.

5. Adaptability and Flexibility Skills

Project managers must be adaptable and flexible in a rapidly changing business environment. They must embrace change, be open to new technologies, and foster innovation within their teams. Adaptable project managers can adjust plans and strategies to accommodate unforeseen circumstances, market shifts, or evolving client requirements. They need to lead their teams through change, manage resistance, and proactively seek opportunities for improvement and growth.

Soft Skills of a Project Manager

While hard skills are crucial, the soft skills possessed by project managers are equally important for their ability to communicate, collaborate, and lead teams effectively. Below is a list of essential soft skills project managers should cultivate to excel in their roles.

6. Leadership and Team Management Skills

Leadership skills are vital for project managers to inspire, motivate, and guide their teams. They must create a positive work environment, promote collaboration, and build strong relationships with team members. Effective team management involves assigning tasks, delegating responsibilities, and fostering a sense of ownership among team members. In addition, project managers must provide constructive feedback, resolve conflicts, and empower team members to perform at their best.

7. Stakeholder Management Skills

Project managers must effectively manage stakeholder relationships and expectations. This requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and engage with stakeholders at various levels. Stakeholder management involves conducting stakeholder analysis to identify their needs, concerns, and influence. In addition, project managers must maintain transparent communication, promptly address conflicts or issues, and ensure stakeholders are informed about project progress and changes.

8. Quality Assurance Skills

Delivering projects that meet quality standards is essential for client satisfaction and organizational reputation. Project managers must possess quality planning, quality control, and continuous improvement skills. They must establish quality assurance processes, conduct quality checks throughout the project lifecycle, and implement corrective actions if deviations occur. Project managers should also encourage a culture of continuous improvement to enhance project outcomes and customer satisfaction.

9. Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills

Project managers encounter various challenges and decisions throughout the project lifecycle. Problem-solving skills enable them to identify root causes, analyze data, and find effective solutions to overcome obstacles. In addition, they should use critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate options and make informed decisions. Finally, data-driven decision-making ensures project managers consider relevant information, assess risks, and align decisions with project objectives.

10. Emotional Intelligence Skills

Emotional intelligence encompasses self-awareness, empathy, and managing emotions effectively. Project managers with high emotional intelligence can understand their own emotions and reactions, as well as those of team members and stakeholders. As a result, they can navigate conflicts, handle challenging situations tactfully, and maintain a positive project culture. In addition, emotional intelligence helps project managers build strong relationships, establish trust, and effectively communicate with team members and stakeholders.

Technical Skills of a Project Manager

Technical skills empower project managers to understand and navigate the intricacies of their projects, collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, and make informed decisions. Here are the key technical skills that project managers need to possess to thrive in their roles and deliver successful outcomes. 

11. Project Planning and Scheduling Skills

Project planning defines project objectives, identifies tasks and activities, determines dependencies, estimates resource requirements, and creates a schedule. To create a realistic project plan, a project manager needs expertise in project planning methodologies, such as Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Critical Path Method (CPM). 

12. Risk Management Skills

Resource management, as a technical skill of a project manager, involves effectively allocating and optimizing resources to ensure project success. This includes identifying the personnel with the required technical expertise, equipment, materials, and other resources needed to accomplish project objectives. The project manager must possess the ability to assess resource availability and capabilities, align them with project requirements, and efficiently distribute and schedule resources to maximize productivity and minimize bottlenecks.

13. Budgeting and Financial Management Skills

Project managers manage project budgets and ensure that projects are delivered within the allocated financial resources. They must possess financial management skills, including cost estimation, budget creation, tracking expenses, and conducting financial analysis. Proficiency in financial software or tools can assist in creating accurate budgets, tracking costs, and generating financial reports for stakeholders.

14. Quality Management Skills

Quality management ensures project deliverables meet quality standards and customer expectations. A project manager should be familiar with quality planning methodologies, such as creating quality checklists, defining quality metrics, and establishing quality control processes. They need to know quality assurance techniques, such as inspections, reviews, and audits, to monitor and validate the quality of project deliverables. 

15. Technical Domain Knowledge Skills

Depending on the nature of the project, project managers may need to possess technical domain knowledge relevant to the industry or field they are working in. This knowledge enables them to understand project requirements, communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders, and make informed decisions. 

Project managers can excel and drive successful project outcomes by developing and honing these hard and soft skills. These skills empower them to communicate effectively, plan strategically, manage risks, allocate resources efficiently, adapt to change, lead teams, manage stakeholders, ensure quality, solve problems, make informed decisions, and navigate complex project environments with project manager leadership skills and personal skills for project manager.

How Can I Develop Project Management Skills?

Developing project management skills requires a combination of learning, practice, and experience. Here are some effective ways to develop your project management skills:

• Education and Training: Enroll in formal project management courses or pursue certifications to learn the foundational principles and methodologies of project management, enhancing your knowledge and credibility
• Hands-on Experience: Gain practical experience by volunteering for projects or taking on small-scale initiatives, allowing you to apply project management skills in real-life scenarios and learn from hands-on challenges and successes
• Mentorship and Networking: Seek guidance from experienced project managers through mentorship programs, participate in professional networking events and communities, and continuously learn to expand your knowledge, gain insights, and stay updated with industry trends
• Professional Networking: Engage with project management communities, attend industry conferences, and participate in forums or networking events. Interacting with other professionals in the field will expose you to different perspectives, best practices, and emerging trends, ultimately expanding your knowledge and skills
• Continuous Learning: Stay updated with project management trends, methodologies, and tools. Read books, articles, and blogs on project management. Explore online courses or webinars to learn about new techniques and approaches. Actively seek opportunities for professional development to keep refining your skills
• Seek Feedback and Reflect: Regularly seek feedback from peers, team members, and stakeholders regarding your project management performance. Reflect on your projects' outcomes, identify improvement areas, and adapt your approach accordingly. Embrace a growth mindset and continuously strive to enhance your skills

Project management requires a diverse set of skills encompassing both hard and soft skills. While hard skills provide the technical foundation for effective project execution, soft skills are essential for successful leadership and team management. By developing these top 15 skills, project managers can excel and drive project success. 

Are you ready to elevate your project management skills to new heights? Look no further than Edstellar's comprehensive Project Management Training Programs . These trainings equip teams like you with the essential knowledge and expertise to successfully plan, execute, and deliver projects.

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Timothee is a project management expert with over a decade of experience in the field. His expertise lies in project planning, execution, and control. Timothee has a proven track record of successfully managing complex projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget. His writings provide valuable insights into the world of project management, offering readers practical advice on how to effectively manage projects and improve team performance. His deep understanding of project management principles makes him a trusted voice in the field.

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A Short Guide to Building Your Team’s Critical Thinking Skills

• Matt Plummer

Critical thinking isn’t an innate skill. It can be learned.

Most employers lack an effective way to objectively assess critical thinking skills and most managers don’t know how to provide specific instruction to team members in need of becoming better thinkers. Instead, most managers employ a sink-or-swim approach, ultimately creating work-arounds to keep those who can’t figure out how to “swim” from making important decisions. But it doesn’t have to be this way. To demystify what critical thinking is and how it is developed, the author’s team turned to three research-backed models: The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment, Pearson’s RED Critical Thinking Model, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. Using these models, they developed the Critical Thinking Roadmap, a framework that breaks critical thinking down into four measurable phases: the ability to execute, synthesize, recommend, and generate.

With critical thinking ranking among the most in-demand skills for job candidates , you would think that educational institutions would prepare candidates well to be exceptional thinkers, and employers would be adept at developing such skills in existing employees. Unfortunately, both are largely untrue.

• Matt Plummer (@mtplummer) is the founder of Zarvana, which offers online programs and coaching services to help working professionals become more productive by developing time-saving habits. Before starting Zarvana, Matt spent six years at Bain & Company spin-out, The Bridgespan Group, a strategy and management consulting firm for nonprofits, foundations, and philanthropists.  

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More From Forbes

5 highest paying skills for project managers in 2024, from research.

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To remain competitive and gain an edge as a project management professional, it helps to learn one ... [+] or more of these five critical skills this year

Within a competitive job market in which 25 million project managers are projected to be in demand over the next few years, it's critical for aspiring and existing project management professionals to stay ahead of the curve so they can secure the highest-paying roles. While the project management profession in itself is a well-remunerated industry, with U.S. median salaries jumping to as high as $120,000, that doesn't necessarily mean that you can sit back, relax, and assume you're worthy of a six-figure salary.

There are things that lie within your power, which you can do to dramatically skyrocket your earnings.

When exploring how to increase and even multiply your salary as a project manager, it's best to look into what are the highest-paying, in-demand skills within the project management industry, so that you can position yourself as best suited for a promotion, or as a star candidate when job-searching.

Highest-Paying In-Demand Skills For Project Managers

The compensation and salary data company, PayScale, compiled a list of high-paying skills which include a combination of hard, technical skills, and soft or power skills for those within the project industry.

It's worth noting that there are some industries in which the impact of these skills on your pay increase will be more visible than others. For example, considering programme/project management within the technology industry, you can expect to earn more for your skill set, as the tech industry is renowned for offering the highest salaries to project and program management professionals. As such, some of the skills listed below are more specific to the technology industry.

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However, many of these skills are equally in demand in other industries as well, so they can still be applicable and relevant to you.

These competencies include:

1. Agile Software Development

Using the agile software development approach for building and delivering software products entails prioritising flexibility responsiveness and adaptability to change as well as collaboration. Following this framework, you and your team would be working in sprints, (short iterations) which allows you to make incremental progress and quickly respond to stakeholder requirements and feedback to meet their needs.

This is the highest-paying skill for project managers, with Payscale data revealing that it can boost your earnings by 47%. Coursera and Skillsoft are two of the amazing resources that are available for you to learn this skill.

The tech industry offers the highest salaries for PMs

2. Business Analysis

Analytical thinking is listed in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023 as the number one skill needed by professionals over the next few years.

Business analysis, in simple terms, is when you identify business needs and research solutions for them. This skill comes handy in your PM role, as you will naturally be working with stakeholders on a regular basis to gather and analyze data on their needs and define requirements, and then propose the best solution with your program or project. This skill improves salary prospects by up to 43%.

3. Engineering Design

Next on the list is engineering design, which is of course more specifically focused on the technology industry. This involves taking the results of your business analysis, and creating detailed plans and specifications, including prototyping and testing, to ensure you deliver a high-quality product that satisfies your stakeholders' needs. This skill is more relatable to product managers, and provides a 14% uptake in salary.

4. Risk Management/Risk Control

With all the changes that are occurring to disrupt industries in 2024, it's no wonder that risk management and risk control are highly in-demand skills for project and program managers to possess. This skill also has the potential for a 14% salary boost, according to Payscale analysis.

You can learn more about how to comprehensively manage and plan for risk by undertaking courses and certifications such as those offered by the Institute of Risk Management, which are globally recognized.

5. Strategy

Strategic thinking is a trademark of leadership, and of exceptional program and project management. You need to be able to steer your project team in the right direction to achieve successful project outcomes, and this means you'll need to have a solid strategy that is clearly articulated so that everyone is on the same page. Setting clear goals and objectives, and assigning the right team members to fulfil each task according to their strengths requires some practice to get it right, but it can be achieved if you're persistent and intentional. Possessing and showcasing this skill results in a 12% salary increase.

Risk management skills helps ensure your project is prepared for worst-case scenarios and minimizes ... [+] negative outcomes, including those that could affect your job directly

By investing in yourself this year by upskilling in one or more of these five essential competencies, you can position yourself to successfully meet the evolving demands of your stakeholders and the project management industry, and unlock numerous career-building and salary-boosting opportunities.

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