Take a moment to contemplate your current employment or a profession that you find intriguing.
Even if you don’t perceive yourself as a project manager, numerous job roles nowadays necessitate project management abilities.
Examine the six areas where project managers need to cultivate their skills. Which ones do you believe are essential for your job? What areas do you need to improve upon?
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Time management
- Understanding the regulatory environment
- Ethics and adherence to standards
- Continual professional development
Ponder potential steps you might consider taking to bridge these skill gaps and contribute them to the discussion group.
Comment Below
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I need to work on all the skills. I feel like I’m short of all the skills and I need to enhance them. I’m Esther, an compliance officer.
I am a junior project manager and I want to work on my negotiation skill
I am Peace Abidakun. A virtual administrative assistant and a project manager. Communication and Negotiation is very important in my field
Hi, I am Ezenwata Christabel. All the project management skills are necessary in my activities. But I need to improve in my negotiation and communications skills. I can do this by being considerate and understanding the mood of my team and the language used when communicating and negotiating.
I’m Tamaranebi German. In my role as a community Case Manager, the importance of communication cannot be overemphasized. However, personally, I have to work on my time management skills as it is important in meeting project deadlines.
I am Nomsa Phoswa I work as a student assistant at ICT so communication and time management is very important in my workplace also ethics is very important as it plays a role
I am JENNIFER IGBOKWE from cohort 26, team 5. In my field as a sales rep., communication and negotiation are necessary skills I need to hone. In order to keep advancing in my career paths and career choices I will go on to make, I must continue to develop myself professionally.
As an interior designer and project manager practicing in Nigeria, the six areas of focus—communication, negotiation, time management, understanding the regulatory environment, ethics and adherence to standards, and continual professional development—are all crucial to my effectiveness. However, their relevance varies based on the nature of my work and the challenges I encounter. Below is my reflection on each area, its importance to my role, and the steps I plan to take to bridge any skill gaps.
1. Communication
Relevance to My Role:
Communication is the backbone of my work. I deal with clients, artisans, suppliers, and team members regularly. Miscommunication can result in design flaws, delays, and cost overruns. Whether I’m interpreting a client’s vision, giving instructions to carpenters, or updating a client on project status, clear and timely communication is essential.
Areas for Improvement:
I want to enhance my ability to communicate more assertively and professionally in high-pressure situations, especially when managing client expectations or resolving team conflicts.
Action Steps:
Take a short course on business communication or emotional intelligence.
Practice active listening and feedback techniques.
Use more structured tools (e.g., client update templates, mood boards, project briefs) to improve clarity.
2. Negotiation
Relevance to My Role:
Negotiation is key when dealing with suppliers, contractors, and clients. From getting better material prices to aligning timelines or agreeing on service fees, I negotiate almost daily.
Areas for Improvement:
I sometimes give in too quickly to avoid confrontation or to “just get things done,” which affects project profitability.
Action Steps:
Learn strategic negotiation skills through online courses.
Practice role-playing negotiation scenarios with peers.
Develop standard pricing and supplier evaluation sheets to support my bargaining position.
3. Time Management
Relevance to My Role:
Projects often run concurrently, and balancing site visits, client meetings, sourcing materials, and supervising production requires top-notch time management.
Areas for Improvement:
Although I meet deadlines, I sometimes feel overwhelmed and tend to multitask inefficiently.
Action Steps:
Adopt digital project management tools like Trello, Notion, or Asana to schedule and monitor tasks.
Prioritize using the Eisenhower Matrix or time-blocking technique.
Delegate routine tasks more confidently to free up time for strategic work.
4. Understanding the Regulatory Environment
Relevance to My Role:
Nigeria’s regulatory environment is complex. From zoning laws to health and safety standards and even local market customs, staying informed is critical—especially for larger projects.
Areas for Improvement:
I need deeper knowledge of national and local regulations affecting interior design projects, such as fire safety codes, waste disposal, and building permits.
Action Steps:
Research and document regulatory requirements in my target markets (e.g., Lagos and Anambra states).
Connect with local professional bodies like IDAN (Interior Designers Association of Nigeria) for updates and guidance.
Attend relevant workshops or government town hall meetings to stay informed.
5. Ethics and Adherence to Standards
Relevance to My Role:
Ethical behavior builds trust with clients and ensures repeat business. It also influences how I handle pricing, client confidentiality, and managing artisans fairly.
Areas for Improvement:
Sometimes, under pressure, I’ve considered compromising on standards to meet unrealistic deadlines—something I want to avoid entirely.
Action Steps:
Create a personal code of conduct and quality assurance checklist.
Join professional bodies to stay aligned with industry ethics.
Be more transparent with clients about what is achievable within budget and timeline constraints.
6. Continual Professional Development (CPD)
Relevance to My Role:
The design world is ever-changing. New trends, tools, and sustainable practices are emerging every day. As I transition more into remote project management, this area is even more vital.
Areas for Improvement:
Although I take courses occasionally, I haven’t maintained a consistent learning plan.
Action Steps:
Set quarterly learning goals (e.g., one course every 3 months).
Subscribe to industry newsletters, podcasts, and YouTube channels.
Attend design expos and virtual conferences to stay updated and network.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while all six areas are essential, communication, time management, and negotiation are most critical to my day-to-day responsibilities as an interior designer and project manager in Nigeria. My action plan focuses on developing structured systems, continuous learning, and professional support networks to bridge existing gaps. I look forward to implementing these strategies and exchanging ideas with other course participants.
My name is Favour Ugochukwu, cohort-23, team 4.
As a project manager you have a good communication skill and be time effective and responsive with team members and clients.
As a project manager I learnt to be very professional with my presentation delivery and while having conversations with clients and teammates.
As a financial advisor in my company,it is extremely important to consider all aspects or form communication, communication takes many form,i must also know ways of communicating effectively with my team and client. It’s expedient to adjust to the ever rapidly changing world of technology and continuously develop myself professionally so as to assess any gap in competency and find ways to fix it appropriately.