Guide To Project Management For Development

Project management is more than a buzzword.  It’s a skill that many people think they have but it’s one of those things that looks so much easier than it actually is.  If you’ve ever watched The Apprentice, you will have seen candidates fight for this position.  They will either thrive in the role or crash and burn.

It’s hard to successfully manage a team of people.  They all have a unique set of skills so bringing out everyone’s potential can be a fine scale to balance.

Project managers take full responsibility for carrying out tasks and making sure they are done correctly and on time. This takes more than just telling people what to do and expecting results.

Becoming proficient in project management is an important skill to have under your belt, especially for those looking for, or those who are already in leadership roles.

Here are some of the core skills and techniques you can expect to learn and master with our project management courses.

Leadership skills

In order to become a great project manager, you must be a good leader.  It’s about praising your team when they are doing well, encouraging them when they are in need of a boost and inspiring them to do well.

Project managers lead from the front.  They are on the ball when it comes to making sure all their team members are well equipped to get the job done.  They will also be on the lookout for how to improve team performance and how to address any problems. This can also include dealing with issues team members may have with each other.

But remember, being a leader requires you to make the final decisions.  You make the final calls on all strategic decisions and what direction your task is to go in.  If it succeeds, you take full credit. If it fails, you are responsible. If the team is somehow struggling, you will be expected to go beyond your line of duty to make sure targets are met.

Good leaders can also manage expectations well.  They will be able to say when unrealistic targets are being made and will offer counter arguments to find the best solutions.

Project management is about leading rather than just being a manager.  As part of our course, we will be showing you how to make correct decisions to ensure you always accomplish your tasks.

Planning skills

This is one skill that can often be overlooked as part of being a project manager.  Let’s put it into perspective: how many buildings are built without prior planning? If you don’t have a plan in place, it can be easy to lose sight of the end goal or head in the wrong direction.

A project manager should be able to see what steps need to be taken.  Mapping out the actions are key to assignments moving as smoothly as possible.  Tasks need to be taken in the right order to maximise efficiency and in order to manage time as best as possible.

Proper planning will include setting up meetings with all team members involved so everyone is on the same page, providing timelines and deadlines and getting all necessary documents prepared for every stage of the process.

And what if something goes wrong?  By planning in advance, you will have thought about how to deal with these situations and overcome them.

The best project managers will always be able to anticipate the next moves because they will have thought about all possible scenarios before starting.  The better the plans, the more successful you will be.

Communication skills

Being able to communicate with your team and others is going to be one of the most important skills you will be using as project manager.  It’s not just about being able to get across to your team but also about listening to them.

As you will often be the bridge between your business and the client, having effective communication will improve the relationship.  They will be glad for frequent updates and the more you and the client get along, the better the chances of the project being a success.  Not only that, the possibility of getting more work from them increases dramatically.

You need to be clear in saying exactly what you are looking for.  This is particularly important during team meetings when delegating out tasks.  Great project managers are able to put questions to the team to ensure everyone understands.

Communication overall becomes ineffective if no one can understand what you are trying to  get across. We will be able to help you get your points across to avoid any confusion that may occur.

Specialist knowledge

This is the final technique that all great project managers must have.  As a project manager, you will be in charge of budgets and time to complete tasks.  If you can estimate these quickly to a senior with confidence, you show that you are the right person for the job.

Being able to learn and expand your knowledge in your field is essential.  There is always something new to research to better your understanding of something you haven’t quite nailed down.

This is important because future tasks may take you out of your comfort zone so having that extra knowledge under your belt will only help.

If your team member faces a problem, solving it quickly becomes incredibly useful in terms of saving time on a job and getting back into the swing of things as soon as possible.

Subject intelligence is also important when facing clients.  If you can tell them precisely how you are solving their problems, they will develop a trust in you and you can deliver.

But knowledge doesn’t have to be technical.  Having a sound grasp on processes is invaluable as you will able to point people in the right direction even if you don’t know how to solve the problem yourself.