Guiding a tech project from start to finish entails staying on top of seemingly endless details, decisions and data (and sometimes, detours). From making sure progress is achieved on time and on budget to keeping stakeholders updated to ensuring teams work together smoothly—and much more—project managers are constantly keeping multiple balls in the air, and if they drop one, a project can quickly go off the rails.
Even though theirs is not a simple job, the very best project managers can make the jobs of their teammates much easier. Below, 20 members of Forbes Technology Council discuss the skills and traits that elevate a good project manager to a great one and why these characteristics are so impactful.
1. Strong Written And Verbal Communication
High-quality communication, in all its forms, is one skill effective project managers must have and improve on. Communication must be objective, timely and complete, whether written or verbal. Meetings with team members, one-on-one discussions, presentations, announcements, technical reports and emails are all instances of essential communication resources for a successful project manager. - David William Silva, Algemetric
2. Asking ‘Why?’ (A Lot)
A great project manager will embrace their inner toddler, asking “why?” a lot. If someone wants to add a feature, asking “why?” will help determine if it is in or out of scope. If someone is pushing a deadline, asking “why?” will help determine if deploying more resources or swapping dependencies will alleviate the challenge, or if indeed a deadline change is needed. - Patti Mikula, Hackworks Inc.
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3. Leadership And Problem-Solving Skills
In project management, effective leadership and problem solving are the most important skills. A project manager must not only inspire and guide their own team, but also inspire confidence through their conviction in the client’s vision. Possessing a problem-solving mindset is crucial to navigating uncertainties and unexpected challenges, which is at the core of every successful project. - Shraddha Thanawala, Remiges Technologies P Ltd
4. High Emotional Intelligence
Tech skills may dazzle, but teams thrive on humanity. Project managers with emotional intelligence have a galvanizing effect on their teams and the organization. They don’t just crack whips louder; they inspire ownership and camaraderie. Teams unleash discretionary effort when they are led not by authority but by authenticity. - HK Bain, Digitech Systems, LLC
5. An Understanding Of How The Role Differs From That Of A Program Manager
It’s important to understand the difference between a program manager and a project manager. A program manager’s role is more strategic, and their work is tied to meeting business and organizational goals. On the other hand, a project manager is really incentivized to focus on the delivery of a project. Both roles are necessary and have similar guiding principles, but the differences are significant. - Scott Sumner, Medidata - Dassault Systémes
6. The Ability To Anticipate Issues
A key characteristic of a highly effective project manager is the ability to anticipate issues and plan proactively for the future. This foresight enables them to mitigate risks and keep projects on track. Execution is the key KPI. - Saif Sultan, Volos Portfolio Solutions, Inc.
7. An Agile Mindset
Highly effective project managers embrace an agile mindset. This means delivering clear communication of business objectives while allowing teams the space to determine how to achieve those goals. This is how project managers can encourage creative problem solving among their teams, allowing them to iterate and adapt as needed, which ultimately leads to fulfilled teams. - Mark Lorion, Tempo Software
8. An Unbiased Focus On Progress
Project managers should provide unbiased updates to management, cross-functional teams and executive leadership on a weekly basis. Highlight what is working well and call out what needs management’s attention. An ideal project manager leverages the technical leadership available to them to resolve issues in a scalable way. - Ravi Bandlamudi, AtoB
9. A Willingness To Dive Deep
Undoubtedly, a crucial trait of a great project manager is the ability and willingness to dive deep. This doesn’t come down to domain-specific skills or technical capability; rather, it’s the application of analytical thinking to resolve issues and uncover opportunities. It requires good instincts to know when to do a deep dive, which items need attention to be resolved and which representative set of successful items to observe to know what “good” looks like. - Elliott Cordo, Data Futures
10. Resilience
Inevitably, projects will encounter roadblocks. Project managers need resilience to push through challenges. A strong project manager builds on trust and clear communication with the team so that they can navigate challenges effectively, adapt quickly and support each other to keep the project on track. - Ruhbir Singh, Tatvic
11. The Ability To Unite Teams
An exceptional project manager is skilled in communication, adept at conveying clear information and actively listens. They effectively tailor the project’s vision to diverse audiences. The ability to unite various teams across the organization to work toward a shared goal and ensure each member understands their role in achieving the overarching vision of the project is crucial. - Rahil Shah, Zomentum (Pactora Inc.)
12. ‘Empathetic Precision’
In my experience, one characteristic of a highly effective project manager is “empathetic precision"—that is, the ability to relate to the needs of team members while maintaining a relentless focus on zero variation from the budgeted cost and time. Empathy allows them to build strong relationships, foster collaboration and address challenges effectively, all while ensuring the project is completed without deviation from the roadmap. - Sandy Hardikar, Network Science Ltd.
13. Rigorous Focus
A project manager has so much to do. They must empower and uplift the team, make complicated things simple so they can be understood by everyone, get quick approvals if needed, set and monitor KPIs, maintain a strong project rhythm, and more. All of this requires constant, rigorous focus. - Rosalba Carandente, Baker Hughes
14. Accountability
Given its linear job description, the project manager role seems straightforward, but there are definitely qualities that set a great PM apart from a mediocre one. One such quality is accountability—a feeling of ownership of a project that goes beyond the tasks required to deliver it. When a PM becomes the “mini CEO” of a project, they use high-level critical thinking to resolve challenges before they happen. - Antony Demekhin, Tuney
15. A Commitment To Advocating For Business Users
When a project—for example, an AI solution—has a team whose members include both technical and business users, the project manager should make sure that the business users are heard and understood rapidly at every step and that the final product delivered reflects the business users’ feedback about specifics, such as the data used, variables, KPIs and so on. - Zehra Cataltepe, TAZI AI
16. Being Detail-Oriented
The best project managers that we have hired were extremely detail-oriented. This is crucial when managing a product, because there are typically many moving parts. Staying organized and paying attention to details ensures products are delivered on time and within budget. - Trent ho*rr, FPFX Tech
17. A Knack For Sales
A highly effective skill in project management is clear and concise communication, which is crucial for team coordination and stakeholder alignment. I’d also say that I’ve seen proficiency in sales complement this by enabling effective leadership, persuasive negotiations and client relationship building, all of which contribute to project success. - Jeremy Vaughan, Start Left Security
18. The Ability To Bridge Business Needs And Technology
The best CEOs come from project management. Great PMs bridge business needs and technology by speaking both languages and establishing strong rapport with both groups. The best PM is the company’s demo god, has the top five customers’ numbers in their phone, and takes engineering out for a beer once a quarter. - Ari Kahn, Bridgeline Digital
19. Taking The Success Of Each Project Personally
Amazing project managers take success very personally. Driven to make positive contributions, they see each project as a chance to strive toward self-actualization and reach their full potential. As a result, they push themselves to take full ownership and minimize any chance of failure. A successfully completed project is often a testament to the project manager’s desire for personal fulfillment. - Hamid Farooqui, Sogolytics
20. Curiosity
In my experience, one crucial characteristic of a highly effective project manager is curiosity. A curious project manager continuously seeks new insights, solutions and approaches, fostering innovation and adaptability, which are key to project success. - Patrick Emmons, DragonSpears, Inc.
