Project managers are vital to the success of any organization. No matter how big or small a project is, it needs a skilful leader who can consistently maintain productivity and efficiency. Project Management (PM) is vital as businesses require leaders with vision, skills and know-how to deal with challenges.

Successful project managers are not born but made. Aspiring professionals can benefit from attending diploma project management.

Who is a project manager?

Project managers are professionals responsible for all facets of a project from the point of start to finish. It is up to project managers to oversee, plan and execute projects. They are the bulwark of solving any issues that emerge through the process. The project manager is responsible for assigning tasks to a team and ensuring that they deliver the goods.

Some of the common functions of a project manager are:

  • Setting up and communicating the objectives of the project
  • Arranging needs of the project like technology, teams and materials
  • Developing schedules and timelines for completing projects
  • Overseeing all aspects and tasks of the project
  • Managing the cost, time and quality of the project
  • Isolating and managing stakeholders of the project
  • Closing the project and ensuring the meeting of all objectives

Qualities of a successful project manager

No matter what the industry, successful project managers have several desirable qualities. Though PM needs some technical skills, soft skills can boost project managers’ performance and make them shine in the workplace.

The following are some attributes of successful project managers which can be fine-tuned by attending graduate diploma of strategic leadership:

  • Skills of leadership

A successful PM needs strong skills of leadership for overseeing the project. A project manager needs to lead their team effectively from start to finish ensuring the successful completion of a project. Good project managers are leaders who can motivate their team to perform their best all through the project and ensure that team members know clearly what is expected of them. They must also be able to evaluate the weaknesses and strengths of their team and decide the ideal way to use them for the completion of the project.

  • Skills of communication

If project managers have to be effective, then they should communicate clearly and efficiently about the responsibilities, goals and expectations of the team assigned to the project. The capacity to communicate effectively with all stakeholders, including the project team, management and clients, can ensure that all are on the same page regarding the project. Good skills of communication also permit the manager to offer constructive feedback to the team for superior guidance. For this, both spoken and written skills of communication are vital.

  • Setting realistic goals

To be successful in PM, one must set SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals. In the absence of goals, work can become frustrating, unorganized and off the right track. Project managers need to set SMART goals and measurable milestones for the project.

  • Skills of problem-solving

A vital attribute of a project manager is the ability to solve a wide array of problems all through the stages of a project. There may emerge issues which are required to be solved involving any project stakeholder like a team member or client. The project will be completed effectively and on time if the project managers can think on their feet and deal effectively with problems and disputes.

  • Skills of delegation

Successful PM is all about the ability to assign and oversee tasks. The project manager must have the capacity to identify the skills of team members and assigns tasks on the basis of such skills. This is the skill of effective delegation, which implies trusting team members to complete their duties and avoid the mistake of micro-managing them.

  • Quality of enthusiasm

This is an important quality of project managers since it displays to the team that they are focused on the project and believe in the capacity of the team to complete the project effectively. Through the enthusiasm of the manager, the team members can be kept motivated and positive while they work on their assigned tasks.

  • Skills of team-building

The success of a project manager depends on becoming an effective team builder who brings together the team to work as a single unit to complete a project. When the team is led towards a common goal while maintaining a high level of motivation and enthusiasm throughout the project, the success of the project is guaranteed.

  • Quality of integrity

A vital quality of a project manager is integrity which implies honesty or loyalty. Integrity can aid one in setting a good example for the team and encourage them to follow suit. It reveals to the team the commitment of the manager to the project and the latter’s dedication to seeing it to its completion at all costs. Also, integrity helps to foster the trust of the team and to encourage a responsible and ethical environment in the workplace.

In sum, these are all the qualities of a successful project manager. Knowing how to lead the team with competency and efficacy can help lead the team to the ultimate success of the completion of the project. Successful managers are also not afraid of failure but use them as building-blocks for future success. They learn more from their failures rather than their success.