According to PMI’s Navigating Complexity: A Practice Guide, there are 6 skills that project managers should develop in order to excel at managing complex projects. Let’s take a look at what they are and how you can get them. 

Expertise

Complex projects benefit from a project manager who has domain knowledge. Subject matter expertise can really help as it’s based on real-life, practical experience of this industry sector or discipline.

How do I get it?

Expertise is gained over a long period of time. It relies on carrying forward the learning from one project to another and working in a domain for a while. You can speed up the process by getting a mentor, reading and researching lessons learned from other domain experts and working on several projects concurrently. But really, expertise comes with time.

Adaptability

The ability to adjust and flex your style when the situation changes is key if you want to be successful on a complex project. Complex projects aren't static and will evolve often. Being able to adapt to the new status quo will help you stay on top of the project.

How do I get it?

Show willingness to learn more about what is unfamiliar and new. This will translate into tangible learning about the situation which will help you adapt. Try new methodologies and tools, both project management software applications and processes. Support new starters on the project team and champion change. Be resilient – again, something that comes with time and experience, but you can work at bouncing back from difficult situations by modifying your attitude and being positive in the face of adversity.

Collaboration

Project managers who are great at managing complex projects are also great at collaboration and teamwork. Working with others to get things done is important on all projects and never more so than on something that is really challenging.

How do I get it?

Build your communication skills. Get good at stakeholder management. Use a consultative style when working with project stakeholders so that they are engaged. Align your team and stakeholders behind the common goal so that you minimise office politics and build strong, trusted relationships between team members.

Leadership

Project leadership is a relatively new discipline for project managers to build, but it is essential on complex projects. You might not be in a traditional leadership role but even as a project manager, you can lead the team. Leadership is all about guiding, directing and motivating your colleagues so that they do their best work and understand how their tasks contribute to the overall vision.

How do I get it?

Leadership is a skill you can practice, and you probably do more of it than you think. As a project manager, you negotiate, communicate and solve problems all the time. Did you know these are also leadership competencies? You can practice your interpersonal skills and critical thinking on your project – and your complex project will certainly give you plenty of opportunities to do that! 

Strategic and business management

All ‘strategic and business management’ means is being able to take a high-level view of the organisation. Taking a strategic overview of all the projects in the company’s portfolio will enable you to act with the best business outcome in mind, instead of what is best only for your personal projects.

How do I get it?

Understand how your project fits into the strategic corporate goals. When you know this, it’s easier to negotiate for and implement decisions that will fit with those objectives. Everything you do on your complex project should support the overall business vision, so make sure your project tasks are aligned and challenge them with your project sponsor if they aren’t.

Project management skills

Finally, we get to the part where your technical project management skills are of use! If you are managing a complex project it should go without saying that you need to have excellent project management skills and the ability to apply them to your industry almost without thinking.

How do I get it?

Of all the skills listed here, this one is the easiest to develop. As a technical (or ‘hard’) skill, you can learn and improve your skills through reading books and blogs like this one, or attending training courses. Get better at using your software tools by practicing with them and asking questions. A mentor or coach could also help you. Once again, time is a huge help when it comes to building project management skills, but you can speed up your learning through individual study and creating a career progression plan.