A Project Times article notes that “the difference between decent project management and excellent project management can be measured in delays, cost overruns, lost customers, employee misery, and business jeopardy.” The writer goes on to list 8 ’secrets’ that separate the excellent PMs from the decent, including:

  • Always looking ahead and anticipating and preventing potential problems
  • Ensuring that team members have complete and clear assignments regarding who needs to do what by when
  • Knowing when to push, when to be patient, and when to intervene
  • Shifting easily between the nitty-gritty details of execution and the high-level options and opportunities that impact project scope and quality

(You can read the entire list of secrets over at Project Times.)

Judging by this list, it seems that what makes a project manager truly excellent is years of experience that teach him/her how to read situations. They know what certain team members need from them, as well as what needs to be tracked and heeded in order to avoid major problems. They don’t waste time on the things that do not matter, but they do keep an eye on the things that do.

What would you consider a key trait for project managers?