The information that project managers need to know right now is much different than what they needed to know ten or fifteen years ago. And you know what? In five more years, they are going to need to have even more skills than they already do!
Here are 4 new skills every project manager will need in the next five years:
Emotional Intelligence
While everyone can pass exams, and learn how to work computers, not everyone has it in them to lead teams through tough projects or handle clients. Emotional intelligence, or what used to be known as people skills, is making a comeback and project managers are going to need this skill even more in the future. After all, a manager will excellent people skills usually finds themselves being more successful with their projects than those without these skills.
Adaptability
Project managers will also need to be willing to be open to new ideas in the future. This might include online learning, volunteering for new projects at work, or being aware of changes on the horizon. The world is changing, and project managers will need to change with it.
Working with Remote Teams
Working remotely is becoming more commonplace and before we know it, going into the office every day is going to be a thing of the past. Instead, project managers will need to know how to manage their team from possibly up to thousands of miles away, whether verbally or in writing.
Experts in Data Science
Project managers will need to start listening to their software programs as these programs will be alerting them to risks, potential problems, and more. These programs will also assist with many of the administrative tasks, which will help free up time for the project manager, so that they can focus on many of the other things that they are responsible for.
While college degrees are necessary for project managers, these skills are not something that they can learn in school. They are skills that people either have or they don’t, and they are difficult to learn. The successful project managers of the future will have these skills, and they will find that they will become even more successful because of them.