Motivation Skills of a Project Manager

In Appendix G, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) discusses Interpersonal Skills for the project manager. We are currently reviewing these one by one in our weekly Project Management Professional (PMP)^® exam tip. This week we are looking at why it’s important for you to become a “master motivator”:

If you want to ensure the success of your project, you should work on developing your motivation skills. Having these skills will help that your project team members stay interested in the project, want to their best, and work toward the common goal.

Good skills as a motivator will allow you to create an environment that allows team members to meet the objectives of the project while simultaneously being satisfied with the work they are accomplishing.

Usually, being a good motivator and PMP® is all about knowing how each individual member can be motivated. Some will do better work if they are challenged while others need to be reassured that they are doing good work. Other ways to provide motivation is through public praise or financial compensation.

Everyone is motivated differently. Your project will be much more successful if you can determine what motivates your team and act on it.