Resources to upskill you as a project manager

In the digital age, project managers are even more crucial than ever before. This is due to the fact that they are catalysts for change, and it falls under their responsibility to usher in new software, systems, and processes in order to more effectively do their job and to keep up with the ever-changing times.

Because  so much is changing day by day, in both a technological sense and relating to the worldwide business climate, a project manager needs to possess a certain set of both hard and soft skills in order to be able to quickly adjust to the times and lead their teams into a new era of business and projects.

What is a project manager?

Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given timeframe and within the given budget. Because  a project manager is responsible for the systems and processes within a company, it is their responsibility to ensure that they are always up to date with the latest industry trends to better both themselves and their teams.

A project manager is responsible for the planning, procurement, execution, as well as completion of any and all projects within a company. Due to the fact that  the project manager is responsible for overseeing projects, they will handle everything involved, both directly and indirectly, that relates to the project. The project scope, managing the project teams and budget to scouting and assigning resources, and everything in between will fall within the project manager’s scope of responsibility.

The daily tasks of a project manager

• Planning what work needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and which teams and resources are going to complete the
• Analysing the risks involved in a particular project and managing these
• Making sure the work is done to the correct
• Motivating the team of people involved in the
• Co-ordinating work done by different teams and
• Making sure the project is running on time and either on or under
• Dealing with changes to the project as and when
• Making sure the project delivers the expected outcomes and
• Reporting on progress throughout the project to clients and stakeholders.

Skills you need as a project manager

As you can see, a project manager will need a collection of both soft and technical skills in order to effectively plan and delegate the responsibilities and tasks to the appropriate teams and resources. This requires a working knowledge of the systems and project management tools available as well as a set of soft skills in order to be able to effectively communicate and lead a team to the project’s success. Below are the skills which are critical in project managers today.

Soft skills required

The importance of soft skills cannot be reiterated enough when it comes to the role of a project manager. Without the necessary arsenal of soft skills, project managers may fall victim to not being able to effectively communicate their needs and concerns to their teams, clients, and stakeholders, as well as not being able to effectively lead their team to success. Without a full arsenal of the below soft skills, project managers may be at a disadvantage, and it would be in their best interest to continuously build upon these skills in order to future-proof themselves and deliver successful projects time and time again. Below is a list of the most important soft skills for a project manager to possess:

• Communication
• Organisation
• Teamwork
• Prioritisation
• Research capability
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Leadership
• Diplomacy
• Coaching

Hard and technical skills required of a project manager

When it comes to project management, it’s not all about the soft skills, although they sure help. You will also need to possess a range of technical skills in order to efficiently and effectively do your job as a project manager. Below are  the core technical skills you will need in order to successfully plan, initiate, and complete projects.

• Project planning
• Process management
• Project initiation
• Scheduling
• Documentation development
• Project control
• Risk management
• Project scoping
• Technical writing
• Task management
• Project management software skills and tools
• Cost management

Why are project management skills important?

The combined skills that are needed for project managers today will not only benefit the project manager  but will also filter down into their teams as they are more efficiently guided in their day-to-day tasks, and with better time management and project planning, they will be able to achieve more within a smaller timeframe than ever before.

Resources to upskill you as a project manager

When looking to upskill as a project manager, there are a variety of ways to do so. From signing up for an online course, getting a degree at a higher education institution, and getting advice from colleagues/mentors in the industry, attending industry-related workshops, to utilising the myriad of free resources that can be found on the internet such as blogs by industry experts, your options are endless. Take a look below at just some of the resources available for project managers to use in order to upskill themselves.

Enrol in online courses

You can sign up for training and upskilling classes and courses to enhance your project management abilities. There are hundreds of online project management courses available for you to enrol in to upskill yourself. Whether you are new to the field or looking to upskill your current skills, this project management online short course is perfect for you, no matter what stage in your career you are in.

Attend industry-related workshops

By attending industry-related workshops, you’ll get to meet like-minded people and learn from them, as well as hear from industry experts themselves about the latest trends in the project management industry. From hearing about new software and tools to learning about psychology techniques that work in the workplace, you’ll get to explore ways to both improve your skills as well as improve the day-to-day management within your organisation.

Utilise the resources around you

Asking for feedback is an excellent way to identify the skills you need to work on. By asking for feedback from those around you, such as your colleagues and mentors, you’ll be able to easily identify which skills need refining as they have seen you carrying out your roles and responsibilities as a project manager and can effectively point out which areas you are strongest and weakest in.

Sign up for content from professionals in the field

One of the many perks of living in the digital age is that there is a myriad of content available, both free and paid for, for you to upskill yourself with. From blogs, articles, podcasts, and more, you’ll be able to find content from industry professionals that will give you valuable insight into the industry and provide you with the chance to take your project management skills to the next level. The more you read and listen to this content, the more you will be able to keep up with the trends within the industry and learn new ways of getting the most out of your team.

Final words

Working as a project manager in the digital age requires much more than just a working knowledge of the industry and tools utilised in it; it also requires that you possess a hunger for knowledge and continuously upskilling yourself. This is due to the ever-changing times humanity is  currently living in, and in order to stay ahead of the curve and not be made redundant. Project managers need to constantly upskill themselves so that they may continue to be the catalysts of change, and never a hindrance.