3 Soft Skills Every Project Manager Should Master

Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.

  Career Development  

Ever wonder why some project managers seem to be more successful than others when it comes to managing and delivering projects? Is it because they have more mastery over project management technical skills, or is it something more intangible?

More and more (and as evidenced by the report PMI Pulse of the Profession® 2023: Power Skills, Redefining Project Success), the project management industry is recognizing that PMs with well-honed soft skills tend to be more successful, even if their technical skills are average.

But which skills are the most relevant, and in what combinations? Are these skills learnable? How do we know if we have these skills, and at what level of mastery? How can we learn and improve on desired power skills?

Soft skills cover a broad array of talents, aptitudes and behaviors. Some believe that people are born with these skills, and other believe they are acquired and honed over years of experience. We will leave that debate for others to resolve.

To be sure, a PM does not need every skill to be effective, but more is better. Below are my top three picks for a winning combination of skills—ones that have served me well over the past 40 years of leading projects:

1. Discernment: The ability to differentiate between fact and fiction; the ability to recognize truth from lies; the ability to make good decisions based on fuzzy data.

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