Three types of skills for a PM

Project manager professionals are aimed to achieve the project management goals. For that, they need three kinds of skills:

• Technical Project Management Skills: Professional Project Managers need to apply a variety of technical skills in order to meet the project management goals of schedule, cost, scope, quality, procurement, etc. Most of all these techniques are already invented: Good practices can be found in the project management standards, the performing organization, or asking directly to a colleague. In other words: you don’t need to “reinvent the wheel”.
• Leadership Skills: In order to close the project successfully, stakeholders should meet or exceed their expectations. For that, you need to manage stakeholder engagement continuously: “You reap just what you saw”. On the other hand, you need the project team to be a cohesive and synergetic team, focused on getting things done in a collaborative environment. You need to be a good leader.
• Strategic and Business Management Skills: You also need to report performance periodically in front of a steering committee. You need them engaged in project decision making. Additionally, you need to know about the business environment and the strategic business plans.

These three skill sets are clearly represented in the PMI’s talent triangle:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three essential skill areas for project managers?

Project managers need technical project management skills, leadership skills, and strategic/business management skills to succeed.

Why are technical skills important for a project manager?

Technical skills help PMs manage scope, cost, schedule, and quality using proven tools, techniques, and good practices.

How does leadership impact project success?

Good leadership ensures stakeholder engagement and builds a collaborative, motivated project team that works effectively.