In today's turbulent world, there are so many things competing for our attention that we are forced daily to make decisions about what we prioritize and what we defer. This post aims to answer the question: What is most important for you to focus on as a project professional?
According to PMI’s ‘Narrowing the Talent Gap’ report, power skills top the list of the most important capabilities project managers need to pay attention to. Traditionally known as interpersonal or 'soft' skills, PMI has rebranded them as power skills to help signify what their research shows as compelling evidence of the tremendous value they bring to project professionals, teams and organizations. The ways in which a person uses these power skills demonstrates their leadership approach. They are considered the 'heart' of leading successful teams, engaging stakeholders and conquering project challenges.
What are power skills?
PMI lists 12 key power skills that, based on their research, are essential to the success of projects. While this list certainly does not provide the end-all-be-all of skills inventories, it does help to provide a lens into the trends unfolding in the project economy.
Check out this summary of PMI's 12 power skills applied through Querida's responsive leadership framework.
Why prioritize power skills?
In PMI's 2023 Pulse of the Profession research, the Institute lays out compelling evidence that suggests the powerful impact that power skills can have on project results. They also call out that despite the strong connections between power skills and project success drivers, many organizations still do not prioritize efforts to help employees develop them.
Here are 4 reasons why you should prioritize power skills as part of your development plan:
Take Action
Committing to a change first requires that you are aware of the need for change, and that you are supported in that change effort. Talking with your boss about your development needs to gain their support is a natural next step. Making this a team effort is another compelling way to gain commitment at this stage. Use the quick guide to help you prepare for your conversations.
So, what's next?
After raising awareness of the need to prioritize your power skills comes the step of clarifying what you want to practice and how. Read more about this in my article Practicing Power Skills.
Still not convinced that you need to prioritize power skills as part of your professional development plan or are you not sure what power skills to prioritize?
Book a complimentary coaching session with me where we can talk through your needs and narrow in on important skill areas for you to focus on.
"Leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what needs to be done" – Jim Collins