Do you want to be a successful project manager?
Me too. I’m actually a bit obsessed with it.
As I work with my project teams, more and more ideas keep coming out to enhance our ability to deliver successful projects.
I also study how the most successful project managers I know in various industries are doing. I read a lot of blogs, leave a lot of comments, and start a lot of conversations.
If you want to be a great project manager, you should too.
A lot of the top project managers write books and blogs, deliver presentations and training. They all do things just a little different. (In some cases, VERY different)
Information Overload
So I would read one book and get completely jazzed about a particular methodology or set of techniques to go try. The next day I’d talk to someone who told me about something new that blew my mind and I HAD to try with my project teams.
My teams started getting dizzy. “What’s that crazy project manager going to throw at us this week?” they’d groan.
I needed to focus on the fundamentals. Not the shiny objects, but what all great project managers had in common.
I spent a lot of time observing, which led to this list of the eight success traits shared by all of the top project managers I’ve found. Today I want to share it with you.
The good news is that even if you don’t have all these traits already, most of them can be developed over time. I have even worked them into my own project management training courses as items that can be learned. Best of all, if you can cultivate these traits, you’ll become more effective in the rest of your life as well.
1. Effective Project Managers Are Lifelong Learners
If you’re new to project management, you’re probably on a steep learning curve at the moment.
Maybe you tell yourself that things will get better when you’ve been doing it longer. There won’t be so much to learn. You’ll have systems in place soon and everything will run smoothly.
Sadly, I think this is a myth. I’ve been managing projects for many years now, and I can always get better. Just when I’ve got one element sorted out, nagging thoughts come out of the woodwork beckoning me towards working more effectively with my teams.
If you want to be the best project manager you can be, you have to keep learning. Whether it’s training courses, blogs, books, or podcasts, you have to keep on your toes.
Fortunately, being curious and wanting to learn keeps you young and your brain active. A love of learning doesn’t just set you up for a successful career, but for a successful and happy life.
2. Effective Project Managers Are Clear Communicators
This one can’t be stressed enough.
Project management is 90% communication, right? I don’t know about trying to specify a percentage, but it’s a whole lot of what makes you successful or not as a project manager.
Without clear communication, your teams will be stressed, you will be stressed, and your customers and stakeholders will be stressed. Not good.
Not good at all.
3. Effective Project Managers Are Analytical
Successful project managers look at their projects as systems.
Systems thinking is one of the best ways to approach a way of doing project work and find the places where it can be improved.
To be a successful project manager, you need to be able to identify the areas for improvement through objective analysis of how you and your teams are working. How does the work flow? What is the value stream? Where are the bottlenecks?
4. Effective Project Managers Are Focused
Successful project managers keep themselves and their teams focused on the Goal.
When adhoc requests flood in, a successful project manager is able to protect her team from multitasking by using systems like Kanban or other priority mechanisms.
5. Effective Project Managers Value Planning
Successful project managers understand the value that comes from planning with their teams.
They also realize that plans change, and the process of planning is often much more important than the plan itself.
To get good at this, they practice, try new things, practice some more, attend training on planning to get new perspectives, practice some more…
6. Effective Project Managers Are Empathetic
I don’t mean getting all emotional, or even sympathetic. Empathy is just about the ability to get out of your own head for perspective.
Successful project managers are able to simulate the viewpoint of someone else, and thus understand them better.
Managing your team and stakeholders empathetically is critical if you want to really understand what is going on with your project, and how to facilitate all of the various pieces and parts towards a common goal.
7. Effective Project Managers Are Self-Starters
Absolutely critical.
No one is going to spoon feed you what you need. You have to get out there and get it.
When a successful project manager senses a miscommunication, he attacks it with a vengance. It’s HIS job to do so.
Throwing your hands up in the air and saying “OK, but I’m going to set the building on fire” is not acceptable.
Passive-aggressive behavior doesn’t work if you want to be an effective project manager.
8. Effective Project Managers Are Good Listeners
An effective project manager is a facilitator.
They listen more than they talk, and guide their teams towards sharing their insights and leveraging their talents. If you want to know what’s REALLY going on with your project, you have to listen to your team, customers, stakeholders. Listen.
Successful project managers listen.
So, please leave a comment! I’d love to hear what you think!
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Josh,
Great list of good habits. I’d like to add that good PM’s are also motivators and team builders. The success of the project is mainly based on the contribution and success of each of the project members. The PM’s task is to motivate the members such that they feel completely involved and responsible for the success.
Roel
Great point Roel, and thanks for the comment!
I would like to add a few to this really good list:
An effective PM:
> Has TON’S of patience
> Follows a structured process/methodology
> Really uses Lessons Learned from previous projects
> Stay’s calm and doesn’t panic in the face of adversity
Excellent additions Barry!
I especially like the last one. So very true, because we have to deal with some pretty stressful situations from time to time.
I was just adding mine when I saw Barry above had gotten then first. Remains Carm, doesn’t panic.
I think this is one of the most important attributes a PM needs. There is nothing worse than someone who over reacts when something goes wrong. If it’s already happened, you need someone who can find a solution and not someone who keep’s going on about the mistake and wishing it hadn’t happened and keeps pointing the finger of blame instead of moving forwards.
Absolutely Sam. You brought up a great point… “An effective project manager takes responsibility”
Thanks, Josh! It’s a good thing to reflect on the characteristics or skills one should continuously develop as a PM.
I’d definitely add persistence. It’s close to responsibility (mentioned already). Still, important enough to deserve a place of its own. Persistence – in the face of project issues & change – a PM stands ground.
Absolutely Lech. For instance, right now I’m getting some pressure from upper management to commit to a date on something, but we haven’t even defined what or how yet. We have to stick to our guns!
Effective project managers are good listeners. I wrote and article that expands on this a while back. Listening is the difference between a PM with a team that will go the distance for him and the one with a team that wishes he would find a job else where.
Absolutely Daniel. And for people reading these comments, check out Daniel’s post here about this: Influence Without Titles.
In short a Good leader will be a good project manager. Excellent article and nice comments.
It’s true Prasad, very difficult to separate the two. Just about all of the habits are applicable in many other roles.
On Prasad’s point, are there any habits which are exclusive to project managers but are not very important for general business leaders?
I just couldn’t avoid commenting of this topic….
PM’s are also:
a) Negotiators: to balance constraints without the sacrifice of project requirements.
b) Strategic thinkers: to manage risk and stakeholder’s expectative.
c) Innovators: to remain competitive, since there’s always an alternative to deliver better results.
Peers thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Alfredo! I hope you can’t avoid commenting on other posts in the future too!
Cheers!
I’d be interested in ways that we can teach these skills to the younger generation (i.e high school and university students). Any thoughts?
Great post BTW!
That’s a great question Sal. I have done some some volunteer work with the PMIEF and am in talks with Junior Achievement about a project management program for the work they do. I’m sure there are many other opportunities we can create for ourselves to help give kids project management skills and an awareness of the discipline.
Josh, I agree with you and Sal. Please keep us informed of your talks with Junior Acheivement. I’ve made inquiries but have not heard anything. I plan to use the materials provided by PMIEF to teach middle school and high school age home schoolers the basics of project management. I have contacted two families so far that are interested. Project Management and teaching others to use project management is my passion.
Your list is outstanding. I forwarded it to our Director of the PMO. I know she will distribute to her PMs with expectations of follow-up in areas that need improvement. Peg
Josh, I like your list! Isn’t it just like a PM to have a good list:)
#7–Self-starter is my favorite. When I was a new PM and used to get bummed every time something didn’t go as planned, my manager at the time told me to always find a way to ‘keep your battery charged’. Now I focus on keeping my entire project team’s ‘battery charged’; it’s helped get those difficult or stressful projects to the finish line.
Thanks Deb! That one may just be my favorite too. I’m the type of person who does really well with autonomy. Being fully responsible drives me; I’d rather not be in a situation where I’m taking orders and doing what I’m told.
So when my high school teachers and principal said I had a problem with authority, they were right. It should have been a flag for them to get me started on project management!
Yaa very true a good and sound knowledge project manager speak less and and whatever he speaks that very informative and with great area covering these are sign of of representing good Project Managers
Josh, I like your list, I would like to add project managemer must be an excelent sales person using influencing skills.
Great point. I’ve had to sell an approach on our project within the last 6 months that required a significant procurement. Great addition!
Many years in project management, two things you need to know
1) Panic early (if you don’t plan ahead you will panic)
2) Treat the money as you would your own.
I became a project manager 8 months ago after graduating school. This article sums up all of the skills I’ve been refining in my position. Points 1 & 5 are my favorite. I learn so much each day and new challenges arise daily. Great list!
Thanks Chris, and thank you for adding to the conversation here!
Hi Josh ,
I like this list of good habits for an effective project manager . I would also like to add that a project manager should keep his focus on the business objectives . At the end of the day , the PM and his team is known to do a job well if he is able to meet the business objectives and deliver the much needed value to his client . A PM does need to be a good task master . But besides being a good task master , he needs to keep motivating himself and his team to deliver as per the business objectives and ensure that he is able to deliver the value that his client is looking out for .
Even if a PM is new to project management , keeping his focus on the business objectives helps him drives his project better .
Its like learning to drive a bicycle the first time . We keep looking at the brakes,pedals, handle, etc for the fear of falling down and and our coach keeps yelling at us ” LOOK AHEAD ” .
Thanks & Regards
Sabyasachi Gupta , PMP
A great point Sabyasachi! This includes constantly re-evaluating requirements to ensure all of the business stakeholders have been accounted for, and that their needs have not changed over time. In fact, I ran into this just this week starting a new release for one of my subsystems. I started asking ‘silly’ questions which led to a meeting with some key stakeholders who were not represented well enough during initial planning activities. It is always a good idea to make the business needs a priority!
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