12 Very Important Soft Skills For Project Management

Social skills are certainly necessary for project managers. Through the project management profession there is debate over what those skills are and how to measure them.

Overall soft skills are the skills that an individual has in relation to their emotional intelligence quotient, your 'EQ'. These cover a range of skills such as communication, interpersonal skills and how an individual builds and maintains relationships with others. In a project environment to get others to work with you to achieve a common goal is the cornerstone of delivering a project.

The 12 essential behaviors for project managers are:
* Communication and Consultation
* Conflict and Crisis Management
* Flexibility and creativity
* Leadership
* Learning and Development
* Negotiation
* Organizational Effectiveness
* Problem Solving and Decision Making
* Professionalism and Ethics
* Reliability
* Self-control
* Teamwork

The importance and priority of skills will be influenced by a project or organizational culture and environment, however, the development and improvement of these behaviors will help a project manager to deliver successful projects no matter where they are being implemented.

Communication and consultation: interaction with people about ideas, thoughts, facts, emotions, challenges, successes, etc. with specific events such as the progress of the project. Having the ability to convey complex ideas with ease, clearly articulate what should be done, keep the team moving toward a common goal, and to foster an environment that allows team members open and honest communication.

Conflict and Crisis Management: Listening and responding to the needs and views of all team members to anticipate potential areas of conflict. The ability to diffuse situations where conflict has increased maintains a healthy project.

Flexibility and Creativity: Thinking and imaginative ways to expand the scope of troubleshooting when problems arise. Encourage project teams to find the best solution and the results without having to play the following methods of delivery or generic solutions. Adaptation of the various project components, templates, tools and techniques.

Leadership: Understanding the vision and direction and alignment of the project team to work effectively. Capabilities in the delegation, coaching, motivating and leading by example.

Learning and Development: Continuous improvement of both their own skills and those of your team. Evaluation of skills and abilities, encouraging participation in learning activities and assessment of how learning is applied in the project environment.

Negotiation: Analysis of information, making decisions, establishing the desired result and the development of a strategy for negotiating with the understanding of the best results from several options. Reach agreement through consensus of the positions of both parties.

Organizational Effectiveness: Understanding and applying the personnel management processes and policies. Understanding the corporate culture, organizational dynamics, and people who work there have to get the most from your computer.

Problem Solving and Decision Making: Problem solving and troubleshooting are a normal part of every project.

The professionalism and ethics: demonstrated through knowledge, skills and behaviors along with the proper conduct and moral principles for both environments the organization and project.

Reliability: Do what you say you will do. Build trust with stakeholders and to convey that you can rely on every day to do the right thing at the right time to keep the project with success and satisfaction of the Sponsor.

Self-control: Self-control  to ensure day to day efforts are directed and maintains a balance between work / life.

Team work: Creating a team environment, where the team believes that "we are all in it together" is a critical component for success.
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