Reliable IT project management skills can help business initiatives succeed. Top-tier project managers should possess a combination of technical and soft skills in order to be able to work with people in many different roles. Whether you are hiring through your internal team or using a specialist recruiter, it’s important to know what to look out for. More often times than not, the success or failure of a project will largely depend on the competency levels of your project manager.
Hiring a highly skilled project manager can help fulfill sales goals, productivity objectives and stakeholder expectations. Failure to identify important attributes in prospective candidates may result in depleted morale, reduced productivity and negative project outcomes.
The following five skills serve as a good starting point in your search for an exceptional project manager.
1. Manage Resource Conflicts
Even in large companies, it’s common to come across technology constraints, non-availability of personnel and inadequacy of monetary resources. The best project managers are those who are able to distribute limited resources across projects.
2. Work with Different Project Methodologies
It’s important for modern-day IT project managers to understand how to work with Agile project methodologies. Furthermore, they should know how to translate changing requirements into end-user functionality based on customer feedback.
3. Manage Changing Business Methodology
It’s critical for project managers to be able to manage business strategies in the face of sweeping changes. The ideal project manager should be able to proactively anticipate – and plan for – changes that affect the project and the business as a whole.
4. Possess Exceptional Communication Skills
Outstanding communication skills are a must-have as the project manager needs to be able to communicate with different people including team players, clients, suppliers, investors and other stakeholders. It pays to hire a project manager who is familiar with working in diverse team environments.
5. Navigate Tough Situations with Effective Leadership Skills
Project managers must be able to navigate stressful situations and make the right decisions without bias or prejudice. What’s more, they must be able to empathize with stakeholders with different personalities, communication styles and viewpoints.
How Can You Choose the Right IT Project Manager?
Since projects are designed to deliver new products or services, it’s critical they are managed by professionals with the right skills and expertise. An exceptional project manager greatly increases the chances of delivering positive project outcomes and he or she should be able to skillfully accomplish tasks by successfully managing teams. Find an outstanding project manager for your business who can drive improved professionalism and greater productivity.
The team at PMO Partners is committed to providing the most suitable project managers for your staffing needs. Contact us today to discuss your team’s requirements for project management skills and expertise.
