11 Key Project Management Skills

Project management requires a combination of the technical know-how of managing a team and project plus several indispensable workplace skills. They are good skills to have, as the demand for project managers is high and expected to grow. A report by the Project Management Institute found that there will be demand for 2.5 core project management professionals by 2030 globally. That translates to roughly 13 lakh new project management positions a year [1]. 

That is good news for people who are looking for jobs that allow them to interact with people, solve problems, and put their organisational talents to use. Here are 11 technical and workplace skills you will want to have as a project manager.

Technical project management skills

1. Project management approaches and methodologies

Project management methodologies are the specific rules and procedures that determine how you manage a project. Different project management methodologies are suitable for different situations. Being familiar with the basic differences can help you pick the best one for a project. Although some companies might want you to stick with one approach, knowing about others can give you better context for what you're doing and why. 

Some common approaches to project management include waterfall, a traditional, sequential approach, and Agile, which prioritises adaptability. Within these approaches, there are several methodologies. For example, Scrum is the most commonly used Agile methodology. Others include Lean, Kanban, and XP (Extreme Programming).

Learn project management methodologies and other essential skills with the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate. 

2. Project initiation

The start of a project—when much of the project is planned—is often critical to its success. And though it might sound simple, there are several important things to consider in the initial phase of a project. Initiating a project includes setting achievable and specific goals, picking a team, determining resources, and holding a kickoff meeting. 

3. Budgeting

Almost every project will have budget constraints. Knowing where costs might pile up and how to prioritise tasks and delegate resources is often an important part of making sure a project does not go over budget.

If you're working on a large project or for a large company, you might not be the primary person responsible for managing the budget. But it will still be good to know what elements can add to a budget, how to decrease costs and when you need to increase your budget.

4. Risk management

No project comes without potential risks. As a project manager, you'll want to be able to identify when and how unexpected events that could derail your project might happen, how to decrease the chances of them happening, and how to respond if they do. How much of a time buffer should you add to unpredictable projects or tasks? If something goes awry, how would you adjust your scope or resources? Having an eye for potential project risks and how to mitigate them can ensure smoother project delivery.

5. Project management tools and software

Technology has made sharing findings, schedules, and communications across teams and stakeholders convenient. As a project manager, you will often be expected to know how to use collaboration and communication software and to take the lead in managing them.

Some tools you might be expected to use include:

• Collaboration tools like Google Sheets, Google Drive, and Dropbox

• Work management tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, and Smartsheet

• Scheduling tools like digital calendars and Gantt charts

• Communication tools like email, chat, and video conferencing software

6. Industry knowledge

Project management professionals can work in many different fields, including IT, health care, and construction. Sometimes hiring managers will prefer candidates who have academic or professional experience in the field. If you are looking to switch careers to become a project manager, it can be worth looking for opportunities within an industry you have knowledge.

Workplace skills

7. Communication

Communication is a key skill for project management professionals to have. In fact, insufficient communication is often cited as a reason why projects miss deadlines, go over budget, or otherwise get derailed.

Good communication does not just mean being able to converse well with people—though that is important too. Project managers should know whom to communicate with, when, and how often. This might mean setting up expectations at the beginning of a project about how often communications will happen. 

8. Organisation

Organisation is crucial for project managers. Coordinating timelines, meetings, and efforts with different teams, contractors, or even other companies means having the discipline to stay on top of communications and tasks. 

9. Flexibility

Even with a perfectly planned project, problems arise. Deadlines might be missed, bad weather can derail construction and people get sick or change jobs. If you're a person who can deal with unexpected changes, your job as a project manager will go more smoothly.

10. Leadership

Leadership can help make all the disparate parts of a project team come together and work as a unit to get things done. Leadership includes influencing decisions without being overtly authoritative, knowing how to motivate team members, and balancing the needs of your team with the needs of the project.

11. People skills

Your role as a project manager is to complete projects successfully. And while sometimes that means staying organised and communicating with the right people, it can also mean motivating your team, fostering a culture of collaboration and openness, and resolving potential conflicts. Understanding that different people have different work styles, motivations, strengths, and growth areas will allow for more effective teams and more successful projects.

Rachel, a project manager at Google, switched careers from bartending to project management—and her people skills were what helped her make the switch. Listen to her story below.

How to build project management skills

Sometimes there is no better teacher than hands-on experience. You can build project management skills by taking on more managerial tasks in your workplace. You can also look for volunteer opportunities in your community that will allow you to help plan and execute projects.

You might already have project management skills: If you've helped to organise any new initiatives professionally or personally, you probably already have some project management skills, even if you had no idea what to call that particular expertise at that time. Be sure to highlight these experiences when you apply for project management jobs.

How to include project management skills in your resume

As you put together your resume, highlight your project management skills by describing the scale of your project, the size of your team, and the positive results of your efforts. For example, you might say: “Led team of four developers to redesign a payment platform with a budget of ₹15 crore to complete project on time.”

You can also emphasise project management skills by including them in a “skills” section of your resume. If you have not led a project before, list your experiences where you had a hand in planning or implementing a new effort. 

Get started in project management

Project management skills are in demand. If you are ready to get started, consider enrolling in the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate. Learn the job-ready essentials of project management in six months or less, such as initiating projects, risk management and change management.