As projects become bigger and more complex, the ability of a project manager to manage both the big picture and the details is critical for success. In fact, the “easy” part might be to learn the “hard skills,” such as using project management tools, learning the software and documentation.
Some people are born with magnetism and charisma; others might have to work a bit to develop it. As a project manager, much of your time is involved in interactions with people, even if you are a “technical” project manager. Given this, doing so objective self-analysis of how you interact with others (the so-called “soft skills”) and making adjustments, if necessary, will serve you well in the long run.
What follows is a list of the most critical skills a project manager needs for project success.