Communication Skills
Project managers should possess several leadership skills in order to deliver positive results in a timely manner. Such attributes guide them to make appropriate decisions, empower others, address challenges, plan for activities, and promote communication processes. The first one is that of effective communication. Project managers lead many stakeholders, including workers, organizational leaders, customers, suppliers, and contractors.
They should share ideas, insights, and vision with their groups or followers. The possession of appropriate communication competencies will, therefore, guide them to outline the intended expectations, engage in proper planning activities, and manage every aspect of the project efficiently. They will offer constructive feedback, lead every team effectively, and address emerging obstacles. Effective communication will result in attentive listening and ensure that all workers are motivated (Sipes, 2016).
All stakeholders will feel empowered since the manager will address most of the challenges they face. This competence will also guide leaders to present appropriate information at different stages and levels of the intended project (American Nurses Association, 2015). Since many projects bring together many people from diverse backgrounds, the communication skills of the project leader will eventually result in improved performance. The leader will also address every issue arising from the members’ divergent opinions.
Team Building Skills
There are many individuals and stakeholders involved in every project. Members of different groups collaborate during every stage of the targeted project. The use of teams ensures that various activities are completed in a timely manner, including planning and monitoring. Therefore, it is necessary for project managers to be effective team builders. They will empower and encourage their followers to collaborate throughout the process.
The possession of this skill will make it possible for the leader to meet the needs of individuals with diverse personalities. The team manager will also remain dynamic, identify the right vision, and solve emerging conflicts that can disorient performance (Sipes, 2016). They should examine the personalities, competencies, and weaknesses of their team members or followers. Such a practice will guide and empower the followers to deliver every intended objective.
Delegation Skills
Projects are usually characterized by numerous roles and activities that should be completed in a timely manner. A project manager needs to delegate such tasks to different employees, depending on their strengths, capabilities, and weaknesses.
Leaders who possess adequate delegation competencies will ensure that specific obligations and activities are completed diligently. The manager will encourage members of staff to consider specific actions that can deliver the intended goals in a timely manner. The individual will go further to meet the unique demands of different followers (Synnott, 2014). They will also respond to emerging questions and offer appropriate advice. The possession of this skill will create the best environment whereby all stakeholders trust each other and focus on the best outcomes.
Creativity
The ultimate objective of every project is to transform a given situation by making it better, productive, or beneficial to different clients. This fact explains why project leaders should be creative in order to lead, plan, and manage the project successfully. This means that they should use their knowledge and philosophies to propose novel ideas. Managers should go further to encourage their followers to embrace such conceptions and support them accordingly.
They should identify superior practices or approaches that can deliver the intended goal or vision. This ability is also relevant since managers who possess it to create teams that are capable of presenting evidence-based insights throughout the project period.
They will go further to use available resources to empower their followers, solve most of the problems they face, and create a culture of creativity (Synnott, 2014). The targeted followers will work hard, solve emerging challenges, and propose ideas that can result in the effective management of every unscheduled task. When creativity becomes a driving force in a given project, the stakeholders solve problems faster, introduce new resources, and promote collaboration, thereby delivering the intended objectives within the stipulated period.
Vision Formulation
A competent leader in a given project understands how to formulate the best vision and share it with his or her followers. Since all projects tend to have different phases or stages, it is appropriate for managers to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the intended objectives. The possession of adequate skills can empower project managers to visualize the final outcomes of the targeted project (Marquis & Huston, 2015).
Such professionals will plan for every activity or resource, implement a proper communication plan, and convey the best vision to the targeted team. They should guide different stakeholders in order to ensure that positive results are recorded. Vision formulation is, therefore, a powerful skill that explains why competent project managers find it easier to identify emerging weaknesses that can affect performance (Synnott, 2014). This knowledge will guide them to introduce new ideas or improve the outlined vision in an attempt to record better results. This means that project managers should strive to develop this skill if they want to achieve their potential.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: ANA.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Sipes, C. (2016). Project management for the advance practice nurse. New York, NY: Springer Publishers.
Synnott, L. (2014). Setting the record straight: Why you need to learn project management. Physician Executive, 40(2), 102-103.