Soft Skills

There are lots of courses available about how to be a project manager, but they tend to concentrate on the hard skills of project management. The Way is all about the soft skills, but what are the soft skills a project manager needs to get things done?  

Influencing 
The wise project manager knows he doesn’t have direct authority over the team, so he needs to build trust and respect to get things done.  

Delegating 
The wise project manager knows he can't do it all himself, so he delegates, lets go and trusts the team to do the right things.  

Negotiating
Life is full of trade-offs so the wise project manager is prepared to understand other peoples' needs as well as those of the project.  

Motivating 
The wise project manager knows that people need to be encouraged and praised and thanked for what they have done on the project.  

Team Building 
The wise project manager knows that team spirit is a wonderful thing, with it everyone will push together.  

Soothing 
There will be difficulties and difficult people; the wise project manager stays calm in these situations and nurtures the team.  

In summary the wise project manager brings out his feminine side (unless of course she already happens to be one of the 20% of project managers who is a woman, in which case be thankful and be yourself).  

The Tao 
Lao Tzu tells us:  

The spirit of the valley does not die,  
It might be called the Great Mother.  
The origin of heaven and earth.  
Ever present and everlasting.  
Use it, it will never fail.