What is more important in project management, technical skills or human skills?

Technical skills refer to the knowledge and expertise in specific tools, technologies, and methodologies that are necessary to complete a project successfully.

On the other hand, human skills refer to the ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and lead a team. These skills include things like emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and time management.

A project manager is responsible for keeping the project timeline and handling risks to budget and deliverables. The project manager is overseeing the quality and efficiency of the project plan.

It’s impossible to get success in any project unless the people involved are engaged with the project.

People can be as technically knowledgeable as they want, but unless they are motivated to use that knowledge, they will fall short of the most efficient outcomes.

Support for the power of Human Skills is widespread and goes back as far as 1936 (at least). One powerful reference by Dale Carnegie, in his book; How to Win Friends and Influence People, has provided a focal point with this assertion;?“about 15 percent of one’s financial success is due to one’s technical knowledge and about 85 percent is due to skill in human engineering—to personality and the ability to lead people.”

This view is later supported by research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center.

Today, these skills are known as Soft Skills, which thankfully, are receiving increasing levels of concentration in both personal and commercial training

A project manager who can effectively lead a team and build strong relationships with stakeholders will have a much better chance of delivering a successful project.

It's essential to have a balance of both technical and human skills in project management.

A project manager who only has technical skills may struggle to lead and motivate a team, while a project manager who only has human skills may struggle to make sound technical decisions. So, both are important in different ways.