Most Important Skills for a Project Manager in International Development
Alexandra, a Project/Program Manager, emphasizes the crucial blend of "hard and soft skills," citing organization and time management as essential, but highlighting the importance of high EQ and "negotiating with everybody's different expectations." The ability to "think beyond a certain task" and connect projects for impactful results differentiates a successful project manager from one who merely completes tasks.
Project Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Critical Thinking, Teamwork
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alexandra Banning
Project/Program Manager
NGO/International Trade and Development Office
UC Santa Barbara
N/A
Communications
Government & Public Sector, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. High EQ and understanding people's motivations are crucial for negotiating expectations and delivering impactful results.
2. Strong organizational and time management skills are essential for project management.
3. Critical thinking and the ability to connect tasks and think ahead are important for delivering impactful results and going beyond completing work on paper.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
There's a really important mix of hard and soft skills needed. This includes typical project management elements like organization and time management.
But because it involves dealing with so many people, having a high EQ is also crucial. It's important to understand not just what people mean, but also their motivations.
Being able to negotiate with different expectations is a skill that's learned over time and makes the job a lot easier. Being organized and a hard worker is important, but the soft skills of critical thinking are also key.
This means thinking beyond a certain task or request and anticipating how things can be connected. That extra level takes a project manager beyond just completing work to delivering an impactful result for the client.