When you’re working on projects in a big enterprise, almost every new assignment can feel absolutely Herculean in scope. Understandably, this can lead to absolutely through-the-roof stress levels and predispose project managers for cycles of misery. A few solid project management skills can help with the stress management, though… and even set your project up for success!
We’ve gathered some advice from experienced project managers, and are going to share their tips on the best project management skills for enterprise clients with you.
Realize Where the Talent Is
Especially if you need to interface with other individuals regularly, one of the biggest things to remember is that your ideas aren’t always right. Whenever you’re working on a project with a group, you can look forward to a pretty complex situation which mingles a lot of talented (and probably opinionated) people in a wide variety of different roles. If you’re going to lead a good team to finish a great project, you need to learn how to recognize who your star workers are… and how to maximize their potential. This often takes good negotiation skills, being able to read people, and even (sometimes) admitting that you’re wrong and someone else is right. Being able to put your ego aside and let people be proficient in their area is the first major step towards great project management.
Hone Your Communication Skills
If you ask other experienced project managers, they’re probably going to say that they spent more of their time communicating rather than working. The reason for this is twofold. Team members in a project need to thoroughly understand what’s expected of them, and also to know the goals, ideas, and major issues in every project. But team leaders are usually also needing to generate reports or presentations, and inform stakeholders on how much progress is being made. And how can you improve your communication skills? Utilize collaborative meetings more than top-down instructions, and simply make a point of checking in every day. Make sure to practice presentations and have all client-facing communique proofread.
Improve Your Organization
One of the biggest pitfalls which can cause projects to fall apart at the seams is poor organization. Another way to think of this is optimizing. You are reducing inefficiencies and redundancies which waste time to help get your project finished faster and better. For the most part, project management software can help with this, and ensure that all team members are on the same page. And luckily, there are dozens of different project management software types out there, from Clarizen to TeamWork. These tools ensure that all necessary documents are shared and easily accessible, can publicize benchmarks, and even assist with reporting.
Manage The Many Risks
Risk management is the prediction of issues with the goal of preventing them. And unnecessary risks are often a major problem for many project managers. For example, if there is a large risk that a project may not be finished by its deadline… how would you address that? How would you prevent the worst-case scenario? Risk management allows project leaders to foresee the problems which might prevent them from finishing late and over budget.
The Takeaway Points
It takes a lot of work and an incredibly diverse skillset to be a great project manager. And when you’re running a project for a large enterprise company, the stakes are almost never higher. But that fact shouldn’t distract you from running any project at your best! You’ll need to hone your communication skills to help ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page. Optimize your talent distribution and play to the strengths of your team members. Stay organized and use the best software on the market to make your team more efficient. And even anticipate the issues which could decimate the project.
