Managerial Competence For Project Managers (MQ)
In the previous posting about Project Management Training we mentioned that MQ – “managerial competence”, or knowledge and skills of management functions - is a necessary skill for project managers. So just what, exactly, is involved in “MQ”?
Consider this definition of the MQ leadership competence as proposed by Dulewicz and Higgs (2003):
- Engaging communication
- Managing resources
- Empowering
- Developing
- Achieving
Engaging communication starts with a Communication Plan for your project, and includes the ability to make engaging presentations to project stakeholders in various formats. You will often be called upon to make presentations to various project stakeholders, including formal and informal meetings and small to large scale gatherings
Managing resources includes the ability to use appropriate tools to manage the people and physical resources involved in the project
Empowering means creating the conditions for your team to grow, and allowing others to make their own decisions
Developing includes providing training and opportunities for your team, and for yourself
Achieving involves reaching project and personal goals in order to create a feeling of self-actualization
There are a great many project management training courses that address each area above. You should aim to develop your competency in all the areas to be most effective, and to empower yourself with the skills necessary to manage your project team.