3 Traits of Project Managers that Stand Apart From the Crowd

Being an effective project manager is something we all strive for. It means we know what we’re doing, have a good track record of success, and get things done. There are a lot of those types of project managers around and it’s up to you to differentiate yourself from those around you. What are the talent, skills, and experience that can make you stand out in a crowd? The following are 3 for your consideration:

Confidence Builder

An effective project manager instills confidence in other people.  They don’t just walk; they have a certain swagger when they enter a room. They lower their voice a notch or two when they talk business. They exude “been there, done that” and people feel comfortable with their leadership. Confidence is not to be confused with arrogance, but rather an attitude that everything is going to be alright.

Seriously, would you want to follow someone who was anything less than confident? This is not to say that an effective project manager has the answer to everything or their projects don’t get into trouble. However, they don’t overreact in stressful situations and methodically figure out a way to get to the best solution and decision.

Outstanding Communicator

Project communicators can be one of two extremes. There is the project manager that sits at their desk and unleashes a cavalcade of emails with subject lines such as “Need Status”, “FYI”, or “Is this done yet?” They rarely spend time with their team face-to-face, and feel that their job is simply to serve as a conduit for forwarding emails from one person to the next. Plus, they like the perceived security that having an audit trail affords them. This allows them to pull up a piece of paper and say “See…I told you about that.”

The other extreme is the project manager that rarely writes anything or sends any email, but knows the ins and outs of what is going on with the project because they work closely by their team’s side. They know the issues, challenges, risks, and status as well as anyone on the team and know exactly what needs to be done next. Their team has an increased level of trust due in their manager because of the personal contact this project manager has with them.

The effective project manager leans more toward the second type…with just enough email and paper trail to keep things on track. They communicate up, down, and sideways within the organization. They listen WAY more than they talk. They ask questions for the sake of understanding deeply. They collaborate on solutions and get buy-in from (most) of the team prior to proceeding. Even if some team members that do not agree with the project manager’s decision, they respect the fact that he or she listened and clearly communicated why the decision was made.

Problem Solver

What would a project be without problems? By definition, a project is a one-time endeavor with a clear beginning and end date. This means that it’s unique, or that this particular flavor of project hasn’t been done before. Therein lies the problem. You don’t know what you don’t know, and each project represents a fresh set of problems to deal with. The effective project manager navigates these problems with ease. They don’t get stressed and overexcited, or depressed and downtrodden when something goes wrong. Rather, they methodically work through the problem, find a good solution (doesn’t always need to be ‘the best’, many times good will suffice if it can be done quickly) and move on with getting things fixed.

Make sure you have the 3 traits above as a project manager and you’ll soon find yourself standing head and shoulders above the rest!  Read about 3 MORE Traits of Project Managers that Stand Out from the Crowd.