As a PROJECT MANAGER, What is ONE THING that you wish you could be better at

Have you ever thought about what distinguishes remarkable project managers from ordinary ones? It's definitely not just process following and task managing. Those are table stakes for any decent project manager. But what is it that some people have—some project managers, specifically—that allows them to transform what could be severe defeats into "we solved that" moments and allow them to turn potential disasters into successful projects? As a project manager, what is the one skill you have that gives you the most substantial edge in leading your team, and are you using it to its fullest potential?

1. Establish Cross-Functional Teams To Ensure Perspective Diversity

1. Cross-Functional Teamwork: Cross-functional teamwork is an essential method for bringing together individuals with varied skills and knowledge to work on a project. Assigning these teams to work on high-stakes, pivotal projects can assure organizations of creativity, innovation, and robust problem-solving.
2. Utilize Varied Expertise: Promote cooperation among various departments in your organization. When you assemble professionals from marketing, engineering, and customer support, you can create a truly integrated team that will produce well-reasoned project solutions.
3. Dismantle Silos: Enable clear communication and collaboration among various departments to ensure that everyone is converging toward the same goal. This method aids in nipping potential problems in the bud and in finding efficient solutions to those problems.

Professional Tip: When you're working on a project, make sure to hold brainstorming sessions that involve people from all functions of the business. When you get input from that many different perspectives, you're bound to come up with some ideas that are really new and interesting. And if you involve more colleagues in the processes of generating and vetting those ideas, they're more likely to support the project once it gets rolling.

2. Prioritization Is An Art—Master It

1. Task Prioritization: Tasks that demand our attention often compete with one another. For the project manager, the potential for all kinds of project-breaking problems to arise from poor task prioritization is profound. Yet prioritization is not a science; it's an art. Mastering it can make you and your projects more successful.
2. Employ The MoSCoW Method: Sort your tasks into Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves, and Won't-haves. This categorization not only helps your team focus on the most critical tasks that need to be completed but also shines a light on the tasks that are less crucial—essentially, the tasks that can be deprioritized if necessary.
3. Align Priorities With Project Objectives: Make certain that the tasks of highest priority are directly related to the project objectives and that they significantly contribute to the goals the project is trying to reach. If the project cannot succeed without an assigned task, then assign it, but remember that the fewer tasks you give to the project, the better it is for the project's chances of success.

Professional Tip: Regularly reassess your priorities, especially when new challenges or information emerge. Projects often proceed in a straight line from initiation to conclusion, but this is not always the case. It is crucial to ensure that the team is always working on the most vital tasks.

3. Concentrate On Establishing A Team Culture Strengthened By Resilience

1. Team Resilience: Team resilience is necessary for successfully navigating tough times. It also propels a team forward and enables it to carry on with the momentum it had before any bumps in the road appeared. Teams can and should be resilient, and they will be if certain mindset and culture factors are present.
2. Foster A Growth Mindset: Have everyone on the team see complex tasks as chances to succeed and prove their skills. Tell tales of how the group has tackled almost impossible situations and come out on top—or, at least, with some good ideas for handling things better next time.
3. Team resilience Stems From Support: being open about hardships and demonstrating how to overcome them. It's essential to show teams that failure's okay and that they shouldn't fear mistakes. It’s vital to highlight learning in the context of failure.

Professional Tip: Incorporate team-building exercises that target problem-solving and stress management into the project. This will make the team more resilient and promote a closer connection among team members.

4. Establish A Culture Of Knowledge Sharing

1. Share And Access Knowledge: In a rapidly moving project environment, a culture in which team members can effortlessly share and access knowledge makes a huge difference. It enhances teamwork and collaboration, minimizes mistakes, and, above all, allows for a much swifter resolution of "emergent" problems.
2. Establish A Centralized Knowledge Repository: Use techniques like Confluence or SharePoint to retain project artifacts, Frequently Asked Questions, and best practices. Fetish your team members' contributions; do this too often, and you risk losing your team's interest.
3. Organize Knowledge-Sharing Sessions: Hold regular sessions where team members can present new knowledge gained from recent assignments. Use this as an opportunity to learn from one another and tap into each team member's well of valuable information.

Professional Tip: Share the responsibility of leading the sessions among the team members. This diversifies the knowledge imparted and ensures all participants are in a position to share their expertise.

5. Nurture Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

1. Emotional Intelligence: A high emotional intelligence makes you a much more effective project manager. It starts with you—understanding and managing your own emotions. Then it extends to recognizing and influencing the emotions of others.
2. Listen Actively: When your team members are speaking, direct all your attention to them. Solicit them for input by asking follow-up questions. This will show them that you care about what they have to say and that every member of the team has an equal voice in conversation.
3. Demonstrate Empathy And Understanding:?Acknowledge that each team member has special problems and pressures. A project manager who is genuinely caring and understanding creates an environment that is not only positive but also supportive.

Professional Tip: Invest time in understanding each team member's communication preferences and work styles. Use this information to customize your management approach, enabling each person to perform at their best.

Conclusion

An ongoing journey with opportunities, lessons, and chances to elevate your career, project management is nothing if not a perfecting discipline. You can do it well; you can do it better. You can apply the strategies we’ve enumerated, streamline your projects, inspire your team, and deliver a helix of consistent, remarkable results. But what if—what if there’s even more potential for you to tap into, more glorious project management ahead of you?