Great project managers possess an X-factor beyond basic skills, including situational awareness, empathy, and systems thinking, which elevate them from good to exceptional and drive successful project outcomes.
Some call it the magic touch, others the secret sauce, and we like to call it the X-factor. No matter how you define this special something, some project managers just have it, and it makes them great at what they do.
Of course, being a great project manager (rather than just competent or good) is a boon for the individual. Just like any other industry, reputation matters in Australia’s project management sphere. The world’s leading project managers are highly sought after, command very respectable salaries and have their pick of projects and companies.
And there’s a very good reason for that: there’s a very strong correlation between having a high-performing project manager and achieving better project outcomes. And we’re not just talking about delivering the project on time, within scope and on budget, either.
We’ve seen first-hand that having a switched-on project manager on your side can help ensure that your project has a clearly aligned and connected vision, strategy and execution; as well as helping to ensure the right level of sponsorship and buy-in across the organisation. They can clearly read and decipher the early flags and warning signs on your project, saving you time, wasted effort and other headaches down the track.
What, exactly, takes your average project manager from good to great?
Leaders overseeing project delivery will no doubt be familiar with the standard set of skills you’ll see in most project manager job descriptions: understanding one or more project delivery methodologies, familiarity with processes and risk management, leadership qualities, great organisational and communication skills, and finely honed critical thinking skills.
While these are all essential skills, we would go so far as to call them table stakes – the bare minimum you should expect from your project manager. However, if you’re looking for someone exceptional, keep an eye out for the following skills and qualities.
X-factor 1: Situational awareness
Critical thinking skills are table stakes; great situational awareness (and the ability to act appropriately on it) takes those skills to the next level. All the best project managers we’ve worked with had a special knack of being able to scan and read the environment – both the obvious and the not-so-obvious events.
Why does this matter?
Simply because with great situational awareness, you’re able to develop an instinct for what impediment could be bubbling beneath the surface over here, or what opportunity might be developing over there.
When situational awareness is coupled with an instinct for relating the right information to the right person at the right time, you’ve got a powerful combination. No project sponsor wants to attend an executive meeting, only to be blindsided by some piece of information that the project manager really should have updated them on.
It’s all about keeping your ear to the ground, contextualising the information and filtering it appropriately. The ability to build good relationships across the business is fundamental to this process, as is the ability to understand what other people are thinking and feeling. We’ll explore that more in our second X-factor.
X-factor 2: Empathy
In the world of business, empathy sometimes gets a bad wrap – perhaps because it’s sometimes confused with sympathy. However, empathy is all about the ability to understand the motivations and perspectives of other people – not to feel sorry for them – and it’s an incredibly useful skill to have as a project manager.
Why is this? Most projects involve some sort of change. Whether it’s big or small, people tend to have a reaction to change. Sometimes it’s a positive reaction, often there will also be some degree of negativity mixed in. When a project manager injects empathy into their critical thinking and communication, they are able to better understand the minds of the people they’re working with.
To put it another way: only seeing the world from your own viewpoint is perception, seeing it from that of others is perspective. However, it’s exceptionally difficult to truly adopt another person’s perspective – often because doing so challenges your beliefs or values.
However, when you’ve mastered the art of perspective and empathy, you won’t find yourself wondering why some stakeholders have a different opinion or negative reaction to a project or communication. Instead, you’ll begin to understand why someone is feeling that way.
What’s more, empathy is intrinsically linked to motivation and belief. If you’re struggling to get certain people aligned with your project’s vision and goals, more often than not it’s because they have different beliefs about how the project should be done. A healthy dose of empathy helps you accept that people have different views and beliefs, then remove your ego from the conversation to assess how you could communicate more effectively with certain stakeholders.
After all, you can’t always change course to turn everyone into your most vocal advocate, however you could aim for a scenario where you have at least addressed the various belief systems and made people comfortable with your approach.
Of course, not everyone is born with naturally high levels of empathy. The good news is that it’s a skill that can be developed. While emotional empathy is more innate, cognitive empathy is the ability to understand someone’s feelings and perspectives on an intellectual level. And in the world of project delivery, an intellectual understanding is more than enough.
X-factor 3: Systems and relational thinking
Last but not least, great project managers have the ability to think of the bigger picture – what you might call systems or relational thinking.
When you’re knees deep in delivery mode, it can be tempting to think of your project as a self-contained world where your main focus is hitting milestones and getting things done. However, no project is delivered in a vacuum. Every organisation is its own complete ecosystem with roles, responsibilities and resources interacting with each other, each with its own goal of survival; but also (hopefully) working towards the common good.
As with all ecosystems, cause-and-effect will always come into play. When a butterfly flaps its wings in Department A, how will that affect your project? If you accidentally kick over the hive in Department B in the course of executing your project, how will that agitate the apex predator who oversees that department?
The ability to think in terms of the greater ecosystem – and see two or three steps ahead as a result – is a mature skillset that often only develops with time and experience. However, newer project managers can build this expertise by sharpening their observational skills and staying as unbiased as possible while you’re taking everything in.
Stay curious, not judgemental
Ultimately, great project managers know how to foster a sense of curiosity within themselves and those around them, while steering away from hasty snap judgements. All the information required for a successful project outcome is there – as long as you “stay curious, not judgemental” (to quote the great Ted Lasso).
Quay Consulting is a professional services business specialising in the project landscape, transforming strategy into fit-for-purpose delivery. Meet our team or reach out to find out more about how Quay Consulting can help your organisation, please contact us.
We believe that quality thought leadership is worth sharing and encourage you to share with your colleagues. If you’re interested in republishing our content, here’s what’s okay and what’s not okay