23 November 2022 - 3 min read
Project management is applying specific knowledge, tools and structures to any given project or activity.
Project management has been of importance within organisations both big and small over the last few decades, and now more recently, organisations are starting to realise how vital it is to effectively streamline their organisations.
Shockingly, more than half (54%) of all companies working on various projects, fail to meet and track their KPI’s in real-time, directly linked to their lack of project management skills. This in turn creates an abundance of issues, both internally and externally – not to mention the waste of resources.
Today, things are changing: project management is a growing career, and companies are investing their time, energy and money into project management as a whole. In the recent report written by the Project Management Institute, there’s statistical proof around better project outcomes due to enhanced project management skills, with 73% of companies meeting original goals and outcomes, and 62% completing projects within the original budget and timeframe.
Project managers cover the day-to-day management of any given company’s project, leading on the six aspects of a successful project which include:
The above can vary depending on the situation, but as a rule of thumb, a project manager must be able to effectively lead on the above to successfully manage a project. Project managers are highly organised, structured individuals, who enjoy guiding, managing and leading others throughout activities and processes.
A project manager plans the work that needs to be completed, as well as who and when it should be completed. Additionally, project management requires the ability to correctly manage your time, juggle multiple tasks at once and ensure projects are running on time, and within budget.
Different roles require different skills, and more often than not, there’s more roles than you think out there that require a combination of both. Let’s deep dive into what hard and soft skills actually are.
Hard skills
Hard skills are often considered the types of skills that can be learned and are taught at school, university or throughout a qualification. Generally speaking, hard skills can often be proven as it’s clear whether you can do it, or you cannot.
For example, you can either code a website, or you can’t, often there’s no in-between. If you’re in a project manager role, it is extremely useful to have a project management qualification such as PRINCE2, to teach you the fundamentals that you can’t simply learn on the job. This will in turn make you much more equipped to do your job.
Soft skills
Soft skills are often not taught, but skills you have gained throughout job and life experiences, various situations and different circumstances. Soft skills co-inside with people skills and are directly linked to how someone interacts with those around them and how someone listens, empathises and understands people.
Project management skills can sometimes be transferable and once learned correctly, you should be able to apply them (and specific industry specific information) to various projects and activities. It’s never too early to start learning these skills, in fact, a recent article from The Project Management Institute (PMI) speaks on their involvement with high school and university students, and how they’re helping young adults manage their time, prioritise tasks, and see activities through from start to finish – ultimately enabling them to gain the necessary skills to work effectively within projects.
Project management tools are a great way to stay on top of the many moving parts of your current projects. These tools are designed to give everyone using them a holistic view of projects from start to finish.
Because of the impressive rise and recognition of project management in recent years, a lot of these project management tools are expanding their features, overcoming obstacles and creating smoother user experiences. And often it is relatively straight forward to introduce them into your company or team.
The below vary completely from price, features and ease of use so there’s something for every company:
Launched in 2014, Monday.com allows users to create their own applications and project management software.
ProofHub is known for being simple, straightforward and reliable. It’s loved by businesses such as Netflix and Nike and is a one stop shop for projects and team collaboration.
HubSpot is globally recognised as a well known and loved CRM. Built within is a powerful project management tool that can be used inside of the existing software. Especially great for those already using HubSpot and want to get the most out of the tool!
Notion is loved for its tracking capabilities and used by well known brands Pixar and Monzo. With the ability to create roadmaps and share lengthy amounts of context, Notion fills in the gaps and creates a seamless user experience.
WorkZone is the #1 rated project management software and has over 17 years of industry experience. WorkZone pride themselves on their fully customizable software and their supportive and collaborative nature. They work closely with their customers to insure every project is correctly understood.
Other well-known tools that are used widely include Podio, ClickUp, Citrix, Asana and Trello.
Becoming a project manager doesn’t require a specific degree, however an undergraduate degree in business management or administration could be helpful. More importantly though, there’s various qualifications and training courses that you can complete to acquire the skills you need, and then combined with experience (can be unpaid or volunteering) or perhaps you already have a bit of experience and great soft skills, you will be well on your way!
At DPG, our PRINCE2 qualifications are amongst some of our most popular, with the option to study either a PRINCE2 Foundation qualification, a PRINCE2 Practitioner or PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner Combined. The PRINCE2 qualifications provide a step-to-step guide to project management success and will equip you with the logical and systematic method that is being used by governments, companies and not-for-profit organisations around the globe. So much so, in fact, that over 1 million PRINCE2 exams have been taken in 19 languages across 111 countries, respectively.
If you’re ready to enter into the rewarding world of project management, download your free PRINCE2 course guide and enrol with us today!
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