Many professionals find themselves managing projects but without having had the benefit of formal project management training.

Project management can be especially challenging when it involves leading a group of people to cooperate in order to complete a complicated task. While you can improve project management skills over the long term, there are ways to make the process more manageable, improve productivity and decrease stress, even in the short term.

Top 10 ways to improve your project management skills:

1. Establish project goals. What would make this project a success? Is it quality? Time? Budget? Be as specific as you can, especially for those factors that are difficult to measure and ensure that your team is on the same page throughout the entire process.

1. Manage time. Carefully outline the scope of the project and prioritize the core components. Now that you have clarity as to what’s involved, create a schedule, with input from your team. Establish a process for sharing updates and other changes to the schedule on a regular basis.

1. Manage risk. Every project involves a level of risk. What could possibly go wrong with your project? Consider how you can avoid such issues but also what you can do to manage them should they come to pass.

1. Establish accountability. In order to get the results that you are counting on, be clear about your expectations. Identify specific deliverables, establish key performance indicators and assign them to specific individuals, to track success along the way.

1. Be a good team player. Establish good relationships with each member of the team, be clear about what you have to offer and listen to what others have to say. Know when to give and take. Observation is the best way to know what your team wants and needs from you.

1. Keep talking. If a project is ongoing, communication about the project should be ongoing as well, but in a structured and predictable manner. Celebrate the good, analyze mistakes and correct them and continue to share insights on the project, as it progresses.

1. Be a trustworthy leader. Lead a project in an honest and respectful manner. Honour your schedule and follow through on your promises. Bring your own knowledge to the table but also make room for others to shine.

1. Trust yourself. When you’re confident, it increases the faith that others have in you and it can be quite contagious. Being part of a winning team is a confidence booster for most.

1. Don’t panic. When things go wrong, as they sometimes do, try to keep a level head and help others handle the downs as well as the ups. Not everything will go as smoothly as you hope but the purpose is to get better all the time and to learn from every mistake, so that it doesn’t happen again.

1. Be ready to shift gears. If plans change, don’t sweat it. You don’t need to stick to a rigid set of goals just for the sake of it. Be ready to accept unexpected opportunities and to change plans to avert potential problems. Learn how to recognize the difference between intentionally switching gears and being indecisive, which has the potential to derail the project.

With these steps in mind, and a willingness to adapt and learn as you go, you’ll improve your project management skills and earn the trust of your team along the way.

I would like to thank the coauthor of this article, JOVACO Solutions, a Microsoft Gold and ISV Partner specialized in Project Accounting software for professional service firms.

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