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IPM’s Quarterly: The Role of Soft Skills in Project Management (Vol. 4)

Our Quarterly Data Digest report dives into mastering project time management, decision-making, and communication for project success.

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10 Jun 2025
IPM’s Quarterly: The Role of Soft Skills in Project Management (Vol. 4)

Introduction 

Overview of Key Project Management Skills 

Deep within conference rooms and across digital platforms, it's not the loudest project manager who succeeds; rather, it's the most emotionally intelligent one. Technical expertise is essential and provides a strong foundation in any project management role. It’s the often-underestimated soft skills that serve as the beating heart of authentic leadership. Being capable of navigating the complex human dynamics is often what determines whether a project succeeds or stalls. 

That’s why successful project management requires possessing both hard and soft skills. By 'hard skills,' we don’t mean deep technical skills, as these can be supplemented by subject matter experts (SMEs); instead, we refer to skills such as scheduling, budgeting, and risk management. These hard skills build the foundation. But it’s soft skills that activate this foundation, turning plans into progress and strategies into results. 

Why Time Management, Decision Making, and Communication Matter 

These three soft skills are essential for project management success. Time management ensures resources are allocated efficiently, timelines are honoured, and momentum is sustained. Decision-making determines the project's direction at critical junctures. Communication brings the team members together in a shared purpose and understanding. 

This is backed by data, too. A study by the Project Management Institute revealed that ineffective communication contributes to project failure one-third of the time.1 Meanwhile, a Harvard Business Review analysis found that decision-making effectiveness decreases by 10% for every tier of management involved in a decision. Time management challenges, when left unaddressed, can cascade into costly delays that undermine even the most technically sound projects. 

Project Time Management 

Importance and Techniques for Time Management 

As reflected in our April Digest, time is the only truly finite resource in project management. Once spent, it cannot be recovered.  

The most successful project managers employ a range of techniques to manage time effectively: 

  • Timeboxing: Allocating fixed time periods to activities to prevent scope creep and ensure forward momentum.
  • Eisenhower Matrix: Categorising tasks by urgency and importance to prioritise effectively.
  • Pomodoro Technique: Working in focused sprints with scheduled breaks to maintain productivity.
  • Task batching: Grouping similar activities to minimise context switching.
  • Strategic delegation: Assigning tasks based on team strengths to optimise collective productivity. 

These approaches translate directly to project success. Projects with robust time management protocols are 24% more likely to meet their objectives, according to recent industry benchmarks.2 

The Time Management Clock

Common Pitfalls and Tools for Effective Time Management 

Even seasoned project managers fall prey to common time management pitfalls: 

  • Parkinson's Law: Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
  • Planning fallacy: Underestimating task duration despite historical evidence.
  • Multitasking illusion: Attempting to perform multiple complex tasks simultaneously reduces effectiveness at all of them.
  • Perfectionism: Pursuing flawlessness at the expense of practical completion. 

Modern project managers combat these challenges with specialised tools: 

  • Project management software: Platforms like Asana, Monday.com, and Jira provide visual timelines and automated dependencies.
  • Time-tracking applications: Tools like Toggl and Harvest offer insights into time allocation patterns.
  • Calendar blocking: Digital calendars that protect focused work periods from interruptions.
  • Automated workflows: Systems that reduce manual handoffs and streamline repetitive tasks. 

Mastering Decision Making in Project Management 

The Role of Decision Making and Key Models 

Decision-making is the moment where analysis transforms into action. Project managers make hundreds of decisions weekly, from mundane task assignments to pivotal strategic shifts that fundamentally alter project trajectories. 

Several decision-making models offer structured approaches: 

  • RACI Matrix: Clarifies who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each decision.
  • Decision Tree Analysis: Maps possible consequences of different choices to identify optimal paths.
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis: Quantifies the expected value of various options to enable objective comparison.
  • Consensus Building: Engages stakeholders to develop solutions with broad support.
  • Ethical Decision Framework: Evaluates choices against organisational values and ethical principles. 

The model selected should match the decision's complexity and importance. Applying heavyweight processes to minor decisions creates unnecessary friction, while inadequate analysis of critical choices invites disaster. 

Improving Decision-Making Efficiency

Decision velocity often determines project agility. High-performing project managers accelerate decision-making by: 

  • Establishing clear decision thresholds: Defining what constitutes a "good enough" decision based on available information.
  • Pre-mortems: Imagining potential failure modes before making decisions to identify blind spots.
  • Limiting options: Narrowing choices to prevent analysis paralysis.
  • Separating reversible from irreversible decisions: Moving quickly on decisions that can be adjusted later.
  • Creating psychological safety: Fostering environments where team members can voice concerns without fear. 

Effective decision-making balances thoroughness with timeliness. Our May research revealed that projects with clearly defined decision protocols complete 37% faster than those with ambiguous authority structures. 

The Crucial Role of Communication in Project Management 

Understanding Project Communication Concepts 

Communication is the invisible infrastructure supporting every project. It fosters a culture of shared understanding and alignment. Project communication consists of several key dimensions: 

  • Intention: The purpose behind the communication. It could be to inform, persuade, instruct, or collaborate.
  • Content: The substance of what's being communicated, either facts, opinions, questions, or directives.
  • Medium: The channel through which communication flows, which includes written, verbal, visual, or nonverbal.
  • Frequency: The cadence of communication, be it continuous, scheduled, or milestone-driven, as predetermined by communicators.
  • Direction: The flow of information. It could be upward to leadership, downward to teams, or laterally across departments. 

Types of Communication in Projects 

Interactive, Push, and Pull Communication 

Project communication falls into three primary categories: 

  • Interactive communication: Two-way exchanges where participants actively engage in meetings, workshops, and conversations, allowing for immediate feedback and clarification.
  • Push communication: One-way distribution of information to specific recipients in the form of reports, emails, and presentations that inform without necessarily requiring an immediate response.
  • Pull communication: Information is made available for retrieval by storing it in knowledge bases, project portals, and documentation repositories that team members access as needed. 

Critical decisions warrant interactive communication to ensure alignment, routine updates can utilise push methods, while reference materials benefit from pull approaches. 

Overcoming Communication Challenges 

Project communication faces numerous obstacles: 

  • Information overload: The overwhelming volume of data and communications hinders decision-making by obscuring key priorities.
  • Cross-functional misalignment: Different teams interpreting the same information differently based on their functional expertise.
  • Virtual team dynamics: Remote work removes contextual cues that aid understanding.
  • Cultural differences: Diverse backgrounds create varied communication expectations and interpretations.
  • Technical complexity: Specialised knowledge creates barriers between experts and other stakeholders. 

Best Practices for Effective Communication 

To elevate project communication

  • Tailor messages to audience needs: Adjust depth, terminology, and focus based on stakeholder interests.
  • Practice active listening: Demonstrate engagement through reflection, clarifying questions, and summarisation.
  • Create feedback mechanisms: Establish channels for team members to voice concerns and suggestions.
  • Develop communication plans: Map stakeholder information needs to appropriate channels and frequencies.
  • Embrace visual communication: Utilise diagrams, charts, and dashboards to convey complex information concisely. 

Conclusion 

Key Takeaways for Project Managers 

The most valuable asset in your project management toolkit is your capacity to connect with, understand, and influence the people around you. Time management, decision-making, and communication form the foundation of this human-centred approach to project leadership. 

Success hinges on finding the right balance: being structured without being rigid, decisive without being autocratic, and communicative without being overwhelming. By consciously developing these skills, project managers transform from administrators into true leaders capable of inspiring teams to extraordinary performance. 

Continuous Improvement in Project Management Skills 

Soft skills are learnable. Elite project managers: 

  • Solicit candid feedback on their communication effectiveness
  • Review past decisions to identify patterns and improvement opportunities
  • Track their time allocation to reveal optimisation possibilities
  • Engage mentors who excel in these dimensions
  • Apply new approaches in low-stakes situations before deploying them in critical contexts 

As technical tools and methodologies evolve, the fundamental human elements of project management remain constant. Those who master the art of working with and through others will continue to deliver exceptional results regardless of technological shifts. 

Leading & Negotiating for Project Success

The most successful project managers recognise a profound truth: projects are fundamentally human endeavours. By investing in soft skills development, they transform visions into reality through the collective efforts of inspired teams. Elevate your skillset with our Leading & Negotiating for Project Success course today. 


References 

1PMI. “The High Cost of Low Performance: The Essential Role of Communications.” 

2PMI. [2017]. “Pulse of the Profession. Success Rates Rise: Transforming the high cost of low performance.”