The world in which we live and the organisations within which we work are changing rapidly. As our organisations strive to adapt to the ever-changing business environment, project management capability will help enable them to deliver effective, beneficial change.
Project management should no longer be considered a ‘nice to have’ or a specialist function within the business. It is a skill set that every employee needs to have so that we can rapidly respond to the challenges and opportunities presented to us in the world today.
Effective project management means happier employees, more efficient use of our limited resources, better proactive decisions being made, stronger communication, collaborative teams across our business, and the realization of those all-important benefits.
To be a truly effective project manager, we need to build a toolkit of knowledge, skills, and behaviours.
Recognizing the relevant approach to use at the beginning of the project lifecycle is key, whether that be a linear (waterfall) or iterative (Agile) approach. However, the skills needed to be an effective project manager are consistent – we need to start with understanding the fundamentals of defining the project. This involves creating a plan, defining the scope, scheduling the work, allocating resources, and identifying and mitigating risk. The effective project manager then needs to implement the plan whilst monitoring, controlling, and reporting progress to the stakeholder community. This leads to the successful handover of the project deliverable to the operational environment.
The effective project manager is also adept at the people side of the process. This involves being able to delegate work, lead a team, motivate, influence, and sometimes deal with conflict.
Underpinning all of this, the effective project manager is an expert in communication who can engage with stakeholders across the project environment and also within the project team, inspiring people to deliver results within the constraints imposed upon the project.
Project Management Qualifications
Not everyone needs to have a project management qualification to manage a project. However, no matter how experienced a project manager is already, there is always something more to learn, and skills should be constantly maintained. Not only that, but qualifying with a reputable professional body provides a real, tangible way of demonstrating skill and therefore increases credibility, value, and potential for future career development.
Several qualification routes can be taken in project management when considering options. Some of these qualifications are based around specific methods such as Agile, whereas others are more rounded and cover project management more holistically, such as the PMI qualifications.