10 Skills to be a Successful International Project Manager in 2018

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

 

As project managers advance in their careers, getting certified in the field adds more credibility to their title and experience. Project management certifications are in demand and in the competitive and complex market, project management certifications hold a vital role in ensuring you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of getting hired.

Some of the main reasons why you should get a certification as an international project manager include increased demand, acquire a unique set of skills and increased chances of project success. Some of the key skills needed by project managers to be internationally ready are adaptability, being culturally sensitive and being an excellent communicator. Furthermore, there is an increasing need to manage projects on a global scale.

Managing international projects require a different set of skill set as the international project manager is a special individual who can seamlessly integrate into different cultures and understand local conditions while being able to forge mutually beneficial and long-lasting relationships with relevant stakeholders. While this is true, global projects also bring about a unique set of challenges.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project’s success rate improves by approximately 40% when project managers possess and nurture the ideal skill set. Based on studies and recommendations from PMI, KPMG, EY (Ernst & Young), APM (Association for Project Management) and other domain experts, here are the top 10 skills required for a project manager in 2018:

1. Project Management Software
2. Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks
3. Reporting/Stakeholder Management
4. Team Building/Management
5. Resource Planning and Management
6. Time Management/Scheduling
7. Cost Assessment/Budget Management
8. Review/Monitoring
9. Conflict Management and Resolution
10. Policy Knowledge

 

• Project Management Software – Proficiency with commonly used technology tools such as Microsoft Project, Asana, and Trello.

 

• Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks – Ability to apply frameworks and methodologies such as Agile and SCRUM throughout a project’s lifecycle.

 

• Reporting/Stakeholder Management – Coordinate with managers, clients and team members to set expectations, deliverables, and objectives.

 

• Team Building/Management – Build and lead a team of people with different skill sets towards a unified goal by guiding each member to complete their unique deliverables on time.

 

• Resource Planning and Management – Formulate and implement a strategy on how project objectives can be met efficiently in the right sequence, by a group of people with unique skills within project constraints (time, budget, quality, etc.)

 

• Time Management/Scheduling – Ability to 1) accurately map out talent resources, tasks, and dependencies; 2) make timeline estimates and set specific and general schedules; and 3) keep everyone up to speed.

 

• Cost Assessment/Budget Management – Achieve cost efficiencies by optimizing work hours and establishing rationale for key procurements and other expenses.

 

• Review/Monitoring – Track overall project and individual stakeholder progress throughout the project lifecycle, resolving conflicts and optimizing gains along the way.

 

• Conflict Management and Resolution – Fix project discrepancies, overlaps, stalled workflows, and other issues due to internal roadblocks or unforeseen external setbacks. Help address interpersonal conflicts among team members.

 

• Policy Knowledge – An adequate grasp of the regulatory regime governing the sector, including health, safety, business best practices, and environment.

 

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International Project Manager is a 3-day AAPM-accredited training course held from 25-27 February 2019 (Kuala Lumpur), 25-27 March 2019 (Perth), 15-17 April 2019 (Kuala Lumpur), designed for delegates to gain an essential understanding of international business and the role of international projects and their management. The course will cover key issues of international finances, international contracts, project risk management and more.

 

25 – 27 February 2019 (Kuala Lumpur) 

25 – 27 March 2019 (Perth)                 

15 – 17 April 2019 (Kuala Lumpur)       

 

Interested to read other Project Management articles? Check out: 3 Reasons Why You Should Be A Certified International Project Manager

 

Opus Kinetic believes that people are why organisations are successful, and giving people the knowledge to perform well at their job is integral for success. We pride ourselves as the premier provider of knowledge, offering acclaimed in-house trainings, and many others professional training courses spanning from various industries. Our training courses are well researched and updated with the latest industry trends. For more information on our professional training programs, visit us at http://www.opuskinetic.com/training.