He juggles, he guides, he slices, he orchestrates. The project manager needs many qualities to successfully carry out his duties. To improve his skills, continuing education is suggested for him, networking with communities of practice and developing his interpersonal skills.
When we asked Alejandro Romero, director of graduate programs in project management at UQAM, what makes a good project manager, he did not beat around the bush. “Versatility” is the watchword. It can be confirmed by simply reading the descriptions of the many job offers in project management. But then, how do you improve your skills?
Continuing education in project management
Alejandro Romero advises (obviously!) continuing education to improve project management skills. The techniques taught at school, at the certificate level or in short programs (from a few days to several weeks) are generally a good option to stay on top of new market needs.
During these training sessions, project managers will upgrade the level of their knowledge of more technical software as well as courses in accounting, human resource mobilization, etc. If they wish to go further, university degrees are offered. “We train managers who are more reflexive, able to say why and how the tools could be improved,” says the UQAM professor.
Whether at HEC Montreal, the Université Laval, in the Universités du Québec network (including TELUQ) or through private and specialized companies (such as the Project Management Institute, PMI), there is no shortage of training offered.
Meeting to develop your project management skills
Communities of practice also have a lot to contribute to project managers, Alejandro Romero believes. Through these discussion forums and meeting places, managers from all backgrounds and all genres discuss their methods and philosophy. “Experts give by example their appreciation of a tool and explain how they use it,” explains the professor.
Among the tools on the agenda for discussion are, for example, the Building Information Modeling (BIM) application used in construction. It makes it possible to manage the timetable, visualize the building to be built, modify drawings, etc. In this type of discussion session, project managers discover the realities of other companies and other environments, and can benefit from the teachings of their colleagues.
When a community of practice gathers at the initiative of the PMI, the event is so instructive that attending the event is worth a certificate issued by this organization. In addition, the PMI offers online training, support to its members and a range of references to reflect on the profession, to help develop skills continuously.
Another annual meeting for project managers is the Agile Tour, which takes place each year in Quebec City, Montreal and Sherbrooke. The event is aimed at the community of managers who want to increase the efficiency of project development in companies.
A changing environment
Project management has changed a great deal. “In 1950, we were only interested in deadlines, without really looking at quality,” says Alejandro Romero. Then the emphasis was put on the technical tool, then on quality, without giving any meaning to the organization. This time is over. “The priority today is satisfaction of all stakeholders. We want to give organizational value.”
This is why a good manager needs to know and understand all the key players in a project. This implies that he must have a healthy dose of communication and interpersonal skills.
Improving your interpersonal skills requires more feedback from colleagues, but also a lot of introspection. The manager must question his own ways of acting and doing, with great humility, enough to admit that he is wrong if that is the case and have the courage to go back on important decisions if need be. “The right project manager must be able to communicate reality to senior management. If the project is no longer viable, he must also be able to encourage employees and ensure that they are not demotivated.