Project Management-Universal Skills for Changing Organizations

Project management is a process that every team follows to achieve their goals and meet the success criteria within a specified time. The purpose of project management training is to train the project managers to handle the workflow accordingly. A Project Management Officer is overburdened with responsibilities.

Many project managers are curious to know the responsibilities and what skills they should possess. So, the universal skills of project management are as follows

1. Certifications- PMP certification is necessary for all project managers.

PMP certification stands for Project Management Professional. The Project Management Institute awards this certificate to deserving candidates. PMP certification is considered to be a global standard to judge the competence level of project managers.

Project management certification has become a benchmark for all the globally renowned organizations. People get the certificate after they qualify in the PMP exam. The PMP certification cost is marginally high. However, the investment is eventually fruitful, because PMP certified professionals get a higher salary than their non-certified counterparts.

2. Leadership Qualities-Project managers are the true leaders They lead by example and their teams follow them without any questions. They exercise their authority, but do not come across as dominating. A true project manager mentors and provides coaching to fulfill the mission and vision of the organization.
3. Efficient Team Management- A project manager is familiar with the weaknesses and strengths of all the individual team members. This knowledge simplifies delegation of duty. Delegation of duty is an important aspect of team management. An efficient project manager helps the team members maximize their potential. At the same time, the team members get their work done, following quality guidelines. Several institutes offer a variety of project management courses at a reasonable rate.
4. Communication Skills- Humans are social beings. So, communication is the key to expression for them. The efficient project managers need to have fluent communication. They need to express their demands in clear and concise language to their team members. The purpose behind their fluent communication is not to impress their higher management.

On the contrary, the purpose of their communication is to inspire and motivate their team members.  Their communication skill is not restricted to grammatical correctness. They should be able to prioritize their needs to all the team members. A perfect project leader is more of a coach and mentor. It becomes difficult to lead without proper communication skills.

5. Time Management-Time management is of utmost importance in any project plan. Time is of essence to the project managers. If a project manager wastes time, his actions may lead to reduced man hours. As a result, the time allotted for tasks drastically reduces. It leads to drastic reduction of workflow. Only time management helps in meeting the deadline. A project may only succeed if the project managers make their team members adhere to the time management.
6. Risk Management- The main duty of a project manager is to reduce or mitigate risks. Risk management involves four processes. They are as follows-

• Assess
• Evaluate
• Monitor
• Control

Also, it is the responsibility of the PMOs to build up networks. The networks simplify risk management for them.

7. Problem Solving Skills- The PMOs (Project Management Officers) needs to exercise as much control over a project as possible. The Project Management Officers need to have complete problem resolving skills. They may use the problem resolving skills to foresee the potential obstacles to a project. Their problem-solving skills will help the project managers to prevent anything that interrupts the success of the project. They resolve all the problems diplomatically, so that the project can progress successfully.
8. Awareness-All the experienced PMOs are aware of their dynamic role, where project management is concerned. It is foolishness to expect consistency in a role for them. They need to stay up to date with the latest resources and techniques necessary for project management. All the project management professionals need to be aware of what is required to manage a project successfully.
9. Organizing Skills All the project management professionals need to do their fair share of multitasking. The PMOs may often need to handle several projects at the same time. During this time, their organizational skills are put to test. The organizing strategies help them monitor and manage tasks in a simple way. They also need to use their organizing skills to resolve minor issues, before they blow out of proportions. The organizing skills help the project management professionals prioritize their duties.
10. Tech-Savvy- The project management professionals cannot spend all their time updating spreadsheets. Several project management software are available in the market. Project Management Software is best described as a software for resource scheduling, project planning and resource allocation. Multiple industries use project management software.

The stakeholders of a project also use project management software to collaborate among themselves. . Basecamp, Teamwork Projects and Proof Hub are a few classic examples of project management software. The PMO s make use of project management software for the following reasons-

• Reporting- The stakeholders need to stay updated about the progress of a report. The PMOS uses the project management software to send progress reports to the stakeholders regularly.
• File Sharing- The project management professionals often need to share and organize certain important documents with their team members. As a result, the team members or stakeholders do not need to waste time unnecessarily, looking for files.
• Communication Purpose-Communication plays a key importance in project management. A smooth flow of communication helps to resolve a problem at the earliest.
• Maintain A Schedule- The project management software includes calendars, Gantt Charts, and many other functional tools. These tools help the team members understand how much time is left for them to meet a deadline.
• Assign Tasks- The project management software allows the project management professionals update the status of different tasks. It helps the team members stay on the same page. Such software also allows them to update different tasks.

Project Management Method

Agile Project Management is a descriptive method of project management. It promotes a customer-centric approach towards managing any project. Many project management professionals use the Agile Project Management to introduce changes when and where required. Agile Project Method helps the business and development teams to collaborate between themselves.

Conclusion

These pointers are only tried and tested steps that lead to successful project management along with PMP Training and Certification. The scope of project management is vast and successful projects generate revenues.