Many years ago, I was working for a training organisation and my manager, who was going on leave, asked me to manage the team in her absence. This included completing a weekly status report. At first glance the report was straightforward – performance data, progress tracking and the like. I then came across a section titled “Team Barometer Check”. I had no idea what this meant. From my perspective, there wasn’t anything missing from the report, so I was curious about what needed to go here.
My manager explained that this section was to comment on the team’s morale - were they behaving like a well-oiled machine and having fun executing their tasks or was there disharmony either on an individual level, between peers and other stakeholders or amongst the team as a whole? Back then, I believed the only things worth reporting were the results.
I did as my manager suggested and took the time to observe how the team was behaving. I noticed that John was keeping to himself a lot more than usual and appeared restless and frustrated when the slightest thing went wrong. Meghan was doing well and appeared cheerful and energised. The others appeared motivated and focused. I concluded that, other than John, team morale was good. I took John out for a coffee and after our conversation it was clear to me that John was fatigued and needed some time off. He took a break and returned refreshed and focused.
I learned a very important lesson – by taking the time to reflect on the behaviour of the team you create the opportunity to prevent what might otherwise develop into a “people issue” – in this case John’s attitude resulting in him becoming someone with whom it’s difficult to communicate and collaborate. My manager was a master at being able to “tune in” to people and she had used this skill to build one of the best team cultures I had worked in and I now understood this didn’t occur by accident.
As project managers it is easy to get caught up in the daily grind of schedules, meeting milestones and working to produce deliverables. At times, our conversations can sway too far in the direction of tasks rather than conversations (and observations) with our team that provide us with insight into how individuals are feeling and thinking and what this might suggest about their ability to meet deadlines and produce quality outcomes for our clients. We might feel blindsided by poor team performance when in fact, in many instances, the signs that someone or the team is struggling were there all along – we simply didn’t notice.
We’re not here to be our team’s counsellor or best friend but we are here to recognise that our team members are, firstly, human beings with wants, desires and needs like our own and, secondly, a resource. Showing our team members that we value and respect them is the first step towards building a healthy and functional team culture. To achieve this and effectively lead the team project managers need the right people skills to achieve this.
What are People Skills?
People skills fall into a category of skills called “soft skills”. These are the skills you need in order to be able to communicate and work effectively with other people. If you’re using a Waterfall or Agile methodology to execute your projects, then you’ll likely be familiar with the Project Management Body of Knowledge. This reference outlines the skills a project manager needs to lead a project and it’s no surprise to see that the people side of leading a project consistent of a swathe of people skills. Amongst these are the ability to: empathise, listen, resolve conflict, negotiate, seek consensus, give and receive feedback, motivate, articulate a vision that inspire others, collaborate with others, satisfy people’s concerns, communicate frequently, be optimistic, build trust, manage other’s expectation and to ask and listen.
Why Do People Skills Matter?
As a project manager you need people skills to be able to lead, guide and motivate the team as well as skills in dealing with stakeholders. Technical skills, strategic and business management skills alone won’t solve all the issues you’re likely to face. Having the right set of people skills enables you to navigate those issues which cannot otherwise be solved unless you have the right relationships with the people on your team and can mobilise their energy in the direction necessary to achieve the right outcomes for your project.
If you’ve worked under the leadership of both a project manager with great people skills and one who doesn’t possess these skills, it’s a safe bet that you could easily pick which project manager you would prefer to work with in the future. Projects are about people – and you need to know how to leverage this vital resource. In fact, as we continue our trajectory towards automation and further technological advancements, the need for people skills will only increase across the board.
A recent research paper published by Deloitte Access Economics identified that technical skills alone won’t be enough to meet the demand of work in the future. It is predicted that by 2030 over two-thirds of jobs will be “soft skill intensive”, with people skills being one of the essential soft skills needed for success as a leader.
How do your people skills rate? Are your current people skills helping or hindering the progress of your project? It takes courage to admit your people skills might need improving and if you’re one of those project managers who has great people skills, I invite you to consider how you might help others in your team to develop their people skills. If the predictions about the future of work is correct, then investing in your people skills now will help meet the demands of the future.
