General Management Skills

General management is something that most people have encountered in their work life. It includes the daily operational aspect of running a business or contributing to a corporation. It may involve supervision, planning, time management, human resources, and accounting. These areas can have a major impact on project management and are integral to the success of a project. The following subsections discuss some of the items entailed in general management.

Managing People Versus Leading People

The PMBOK discusses the differentiation between managing people and leading them. It emphasizes that managing involves providing results to stakeholders and is process oriented. Leading people is a much broader discipline and involves a multitude of different areas, including direction, people alignment, motivation, and inspiration. As an effective project manager, you are expected to be a good manager, as well as a good leader, in order to be effective.

Communicating

The communication process involves a sender, a receiver, and information exchange. Several attributes are discussed in the PMBOK, including listening, speaking, and written and oral communication. Communication in a project can be written for internal and external forms for parties associated with the project, and the flow of communication can occur either up and down through the organization (vertical communication) or across the organization (horizontal communication).

You need to know that project managers spend 70% 80% of their time communicating either verbally or in written form.

Negotiating

Negotiations are an important part of any project. The ability to effectively negotiate resolutions and conflicts can determine the success of your project. According to the PMBOK, negotiating "involves conferring with others to come to terms with them or to reach an agreement." The process of obtaining "buy-in" from participants is a necessary ingredient if you need to have the involvement of your team. Team members tend to support and work more diligently toward goals when they have been involved in the development process and have been allowed to give their input.

Problem Solving

This process is important to developing and working through a project. The ability to provide problem solving to situations involves creativity and can be very challenging. First, the manager must define the problem and put it into words and concepts that everyone can understand. After defining the problem, the manager must utilize creativity to develop solutions and make decisions based on her experience and input from other participants. The decision-making process involves problem analysis, feedback solicitation, and ultimately choosing the best alternative.