Project management involves a lot of activities and, as such, project managers are required to possess various skills to succeed in their everyday activities. According to Harrin (2015), some of the skills that project managers should possess include leadership, negotiation, scheduling, cost control, risk management, cost control, and contract management skills. The present essay explores some of the project management skills that I possess, have applied, and that I feel will be of great help to me in the future. They are leadership, communication, planning, and coordination skills.

Leadership is the ability to motivate and sustain the efforts of people to work towards the common goal of the project. I used this skill to manage group projects during my college days, and my group used to achieve the highest scores in the class. I also used my leadership skill during my internship at IBM where I led my group to meet and exceed our target. The skill will help me achieve various goals and be a better project manager in the future. For example, it will help me have and maintain a positive attitude even during times of substantial difficulties, problems, and project obstacles. A positive attitude enhances the confidence that project team members have in their leader, and, consequently, their performance (Pearson Education UK, 2000). The project will also help me manage projects by example in the future. Good leaders are honest, direct, straightforward, and knowledgeable. As such, the skill will make me a role model and a source of motivation in the future.

Planning is the ability to define goals and objectives and to determine the most efficient course of action to reach the goals and objectives. Coordination is the capacity to ensure that all activities of the project function together for the benefit of the whole project. Communication skills involve the ability of the project manager to receive and share relevant project information with team members. I have successfully used the three management skills in the past. I was once a member of a Sharm el Sheikh Animation team, and I used the skills to help the team develop unique animations that avoided repetitions and boredom.

Many people liked my team’s animations and enjoyed the good team spirit that I cultivated into the team through effective planning, coordination, and communication. I also feel that each of the skills will be of great help to me in the future. For example, the good communication skill will help me to define clearly what is expected of project team members in the future. It will enable me to set performance expectations early in the life of the project and to solve problems that arise later during the life of the project (Pearson Education UK, 2000). It will also help me to be direct, open, and to deal with problems of all types in the future. It will enhance my ability to communicate and address problems as opposed to concealing them. The planning skill will help me develop and define project goals and objectives and the necessary course of action to achieve them.

For example, it will help me define the scope, time frames, quality, and risks of future projects and the necessary courses of actions such as communication channels, human resources, procurement, and other costs. Coordination skills will help me control projects in the future. For example, it will help me plan, communicate, supervise, and direct projects in the future.

The various management skills that I have successfully applied in the past have been discussed in this essay. They include leadership, planning, communication, and coordination skills. The various ways in which the four skills will help me manage projects in the future have also been discussed. Such techniques include the ability to maintain positive attitudes, to define performance expectations, to communicate and address problems, and to plan, coordinate, and supervise future projects.