The Best Project Managers Have Diverse Skills

The role of a project manager requires diverse skills to effectively plan, execute, and deliver ERP projects within the IFS ecosystem. While there are lots of skills that make a project manager effective, here are three key skills I think are crucial for success:

1. Administrative: Strong administrative skills are essential for a project manager. This includes expertise in defining project scope, setting goals and objectives, creating project plans, establishing timelines, managing budgets, and allocating resources effectively. The ability to break down complex projects into manageable tasks, identify dependencies, and track progress is crucial. We have started using ClickUp as part of our project management toolset. It’s easy to set up, maintain and can be shared across domains.
2. Some Technical Aptitude: In the ERP industry, having some technical background is helpful for an IT project manager. While they may not be expected to have in-depth expertise in every technical area, they should be able to communicate between business and technical teams. This helps them communicate effectively to any of the executive team any solutions that are being presented.
3. Leadership and Communication: Leadership skills are crucial for project managers to motivate and guide their team toward project success. They should be able to inspire and empower team members, foster collaboration, resolve conflicts, and facilitate effective teamwork. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential for conveying project requirements, updates, and issues to stakeholders at all levels. An IT project manager should be an active listener, gathering feedback and ensuring effective communication between team members, clients, vendors, and other project stakeholders.

While these are the top three skills, it’s worth noting that other skills, such as risk management, problem-solving, negotiation, and adaptability, also contribute to the success of an IT project manager. The specific skillset required may vary based on the nature of the project, organizational context, and industry trends.