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Are good project managers born or created? Perhaps it is both.

For some, leadership and organization are natural traits carried from grade school. Management is a natural fit that comes easily and is effective from day one. For others, it takes years of learning the hard way and working out the rough edges to develop the skills necessary to be a successful project manager. Whether leaders are born or grown, there are 10 specific skills every IT project manager should have. These individual attributes combine to create an effective leader who can get the job done on time, on budget, and without damaging relationships.

#1: Organization
If you spend more time looking for lost information than you do managing your project, you are in trouble. Organization is imperative to a good project manager. This includes organizing both time and information. They should be able to manage multiple tasks from different angles at one time, and this requires organization first.

#2: Leadership
Leading does not mean dictating, it involves building a consensus, inspiring confidence, and bringing visions to life by building relationships and holding everyone responsible.

#3: Communication
Successful communication means ensuring you both understand and are understood. A good project manager can communicate information to all levels, but can also decipher who needs to know what, when, and how. This may include having regular, organized meetings, conference calls, or the like. All project managers must be able to effectively communicate with their stakeholders and team members throughout the process.

#4: Negotiation
Any project will inevitably involve dealing with an array of people with very different interests. A good project manager understands and negotiates these relationships and interests to create a project that can move forward without damaging critical relationship.

#5: Detail-Oriented.
Details make or break a project. Big ones and small ones influence the overall success of a project. Any project manager must be meticulous about managing each detail to create overall success.

#6: Problem Solving
Where there is a project, there will be problems. How a project manager solves problems is what differentiates a successful manager from a failure.

# 7: Technical skills.
A general skill-set in management is not enough anymore. You must also have a foundational knowledge of the dashboards, software, and programs you are working with. Even if you were not hired as an IT position, you should have a working knowledge of the technical skills necessary to contribute to your team.

#8: Team Building
Some project may be long, exhausting, difficult, stressful, and frustrating at times. The role of a project manager is to keep your team motivated through team building. This does not have to be a lavish ski vacation or a four-course meal, but establishing relationships can go a long way to an effective team.

#9: Conflict Management
Conflict within a project team is inevitable. Squabbles and disagreements must be managed effectively to ensure overall success. An effective project manager should not shove conflicts under a rug, but instead needs to understand the problem, discuss the options, and come to a creative compromise that moves the project forward.

#10: Delegation
No one person can do all things, nor should they. Good project managers build an effective team and then use their team by delegating tasks. Use the strengths and personalities of others to create success within the entire team.

#triumphwithus

Sources:
http://www.project-skills.com/5-critical-skills-every-project-manager-should-have.html
http://www.cio.com/article/2389129/project-management/7-must-have-project-management-skills-for-it-pros.html

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