CHAPTER 11Communication Skills for Project Managers
Never say, “You’re wrong!”
—Dale Carnegie
Ask a PM what is the most important project management skill to have, and you will most likely hear that it’s the soft skills. These include not only speaking and writing but also listening skills, interpersonal skills, and general emotional intelligence.
We all know PMs who are impressively technical (i.e., they have hard skills) but less effective than they could be, because they are held back by their soft skills. Without strong people skills, PMs are limited in effectiveness at gathering requirements, writing team communications, managing staff, and interacting successfully with their customers.
Two common examples: (1) Missing a small cue or failing ...
