Introduction to Soft Skills Project Manager
Soft Skill Project Manager reflects a person’s relationship with other people through his character traits and interpersonal skills. It focuses more on who people are rather than what they know. It makes the work environment too flexible and easier to manage through subtle behaviors and communication. It includes attributes like adaptability and flexibility and also includes problem-solving, creative thinking, conflict resolution, time management, and self-motivation. This word is being used by employers to refer to intangible and non-technical abilities that are being found out from the candidates. Sometimes people refer to soft skills as transferable skills or professional skills, which is very less specialized but more aligned with the general disposition and candidate’s personality. Since soft skills are more personality-driven, it relates to our attitudes and intuitions and is less inclined to our qualifications. It is very vital to consider what our soft skills are and, before applying for a job, how we can find evidence for it. This is very true as far as graduate programmers are considered, and one of the bright examples of it is the project manager, for whom transferable skills and potencies are given priority over professional experience. And a demonstration of soft skills is equal to demonstrating potency to progress in the career of our choice.
Why do Soft Skills Matter?
A soft skill differentiates between the adequate and the ideal candidates. As far as competitive job markets are concerned, recruiters look for the people who are efficient to become leaders, and leadership quality depends on soft skills. So, in this case, technical ability and knowledge in the domain area are not important. It is the interpersonal people skills, social skills, communication skills, attitudes, social intelligence, and emotional intelligence is that matters over here because these skills help people to work and perform well in a suitable environment.
What are the Key Soft Skills?
Some of the pillars of soft skills are:
1. Communication
Communication in soft skills doesn’t focus on the syllables or speeches; rather, it gives importance to the tone and style in which the communicators speak to their audience, analyze the issues and challenges with the colleagues and clients alike. It also plays a vital role as far as leadership quality is concerned since leaders are expected to handle clearly and comprehensibly.
2. Self-Motivation
An employee is expected to take the initiative and work positively for his organization round the clock, which is a vital soft skill for an employee. This quality not only exhibits reliability and commitment, but it also shows that without the need for constant oversight, you can easily fit efficiently into an organizational structure.
3. Leadership
It is an important pillar of soft skill, which reflects if we are not directly managing others. Leadership achieves its importance when some other skills like a positive attitude, the ability to motivate others are taken into consideration. According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review by emotional intelligence guru Daniel Goleman states that the five abilities that distinguish the best leaders from the average ones are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills, etc. India has changed a lot which can no more accept the ‘lone-wolf leadership styles, rather positive energy, team building, care, reward, teach, decide, create is what is given a lot of importance today.
4. Self-Awareness
It is one of the very important parts of soft skill, which is highly neglected. It not only helps how to accept responsibility for any mistakes but also demonstrates a willingness to learn and progress. Daniel Goleman, the guru of emotional intelligence, identified that self-awareness in a triangular shape is made up of emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence. One cannot lead a happy and prosperous life without self-awareness.
5. Teamwork
It is like a basketball team working together for a perfect shot, in which each member of the team is being assigned a specific role to play for completing the job successfully. Here, one of the players scored the basket, but it was made possible by every people’s planning, cooperation, and coordination. Employers look for those candidates who not only have the capability to work efficiently with others but also understand that every player gets an opportunity of getting the ball. Teamwork includes skills and habits like:
a) Working Cooperatively.
b) Contributing to groups with ideas.
c) Communication (Both giving and receiving).
d) Sense of responsibility.
e) A healthy respect for different opinions, customs, and individual preferences.
f) Ability to participate in group decision-making.
6. Ability to Work under Pressure and Time Management
There are many jobs which demand not only deadlines but also occasionally face high stakes. Recruiters give rewards to those candidates who show a decisive attitude, an unfaltering capacity to think clearly and deeply, and the ability to compartmentalize and set stress aside. Time management is very much related to the ability to work under pressure and also within deadlines. Employers who are able to manage their timings and prioritize tasks are the real successful managers.
7. Flexibility
You must always be able to predict what’s next and have the flexibility to evolve. Adaptability and flexibility are the two sides of the same coin. Every day is a new day which brings some kinds of changes. It may be a small one (leaving a job and joining another) or a massive one (the birth of a child). The capacity of accepting the real fact and changing according to the situation is to be flexible. It is this soft skill that asks capacity and the willingness to acquire new skills and to face new tasks and challenges.
8. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
It is a friendly fight, which is wrapped in a positive attitude. Every employee is expected to negotiate whether in salary or in ideas and thoughts. But the greatest problem that society is facing today is that people are inefficient to learn how to negotiate well.
Technical Skills and Soft Skills Required by a Project Manager
List of Soft Skills Required
- Managing exceptions.
- Leading.
- Decision making.
- Influencing.
- Negotiating.
- Conflict resolution.
- Critical problem-solving.
- Coordinating and communicating.
- Motivating.
List of Technical Skills
- Scheduling tasks.
- Preparing work breakdown structures.
- Finding a critical path for a project.
- Calculating earned values.
- Calculating budgets.
- Preparing risk mitigation plans.
- Variants analysis.
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