Connecting people and projects, APM North West Branch Conference, 9 May 2023 Speaker: Marion Thomas

1. Soft Skills training for
project management –
harder than you might
think!
Marion Thomas,
ExtraordinaryPM
Chief Trailblazer
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

2. Who am I and why am I here? NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People
Accidental PM – trained as an Applied Zoologist
16 years working for ICI / AstraZeneca – marketing, product management,
manufacturing planning, change management
Freelance change / project / programme manager 30+ years
Multiple sectors and industries
Now provide leadership and people skills training for project people and
mentor people for their ChPP
2014 – 10 month leadership programme
2016 – Certified Professional Co-Active Coach
2019 – ChPP
2020 – FAPM and Finalist APM awards
Security
Printing
Telecomms
Financial
sector
Manufacturing
AgChem / Pharma
Public Sector
Became really frustrated from encountering poor
leadership on projects
Decided to do something about it

3. Founded ExtraordinaryPM in 2016 People &
Enabling
Change
SIG’s
Mastery programme – training and mentoring PMs in
leadership and people skills based on the 5Ts framework
Bespoke training – the practical application of PMs tools
ChPP mentoring - written assessment and interview
Target
Thrive
Time
Tribe
Terrain

5. Let’s play soft skills bingo!
o Accepting
criticism
o Accountability
o Accuracy
o Active learning
o Adaptability
o Aesthetics
o Analysis
o Assertiveness
o Attention to
detail
o Authenticity
o Brainstorming
o Calmness
o Charisma
o Collaboration
o Commitment
o Communication
o Confidence
o Conflict
management
/resolution
o Constructive
feedback
o Coordination
o Creativity
o Critical thinking /
observation
o Cultural
intelligence
o Curiosity
o Decision making
o Deductive
reasoning
o Dependability
o Depersonalization
o Diplomacy
o Discipline
o Emotional
intelligence
o Empathy
o Enthusiasm
o Experimentation
o Flexibility
o Generosity
o Goal setting
o Honesty
o Humour
o Imagination
o Innovation
o Leadership
o Listening skills /
active listening
o Logical
reasoning
o Management
skills
o Mentorship
o Mind-mapping
o Motivation
o Multi-tasking
o Negotiation
o Networking
o Observation
o Objectivity
o Open-
mindedness
o Resilience
o Resourcefulness
o Responsibility
o Self-control / self-
management
o Self-motivation
o Sociability
o Speaking
o Strategic thinking
o Stress
management
o System analysis
o Taking
responsibility
o Task delegation
o Teamwork
o Technical writing
o Tenacity
o Time
management
o Tolerance
o Verbal
communication
o Vision
o Visual
communication
o Willingness to
learn
o Work ethic
o Written
communication
o Open to
criticism
o Optimism
o Organization
o Patience
o Perspective
o Persuasion
o Planning &
prioritisation
o Positive attitude
o Presentation &
public thinking
o Problem-solving
o Professionalism
o Quality client
service
o Receptive
attitude
List is not exhaustive
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

6. How do we get to know one another?
A dog’s nose is 100,000 times more sensitive than a human’s
We rely on our sense of sight – only 60 -70% correct
So we interpret using our hearts and minds
We make assumptions, often based on our fears
Our unconscious bias kicks in and we assess very quickly
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

7. How do we get to know one another?
Let’s try it out
Step 1 – 4 mins each
In pairs share your name, what you do, something
interesting about you, and why you chose this breakout
session.
Listen to your partner carefully – you are going to
introduce them in a moment.
Step 2 – 3 mins per intro (12 mins in total)
Find your neighbouring pair and you each introduce your
partner to the other pair
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

8. Working with your partner –
which did you use?
o Accepting
criticism
o Accountability
o Accuracy
o Active learning
o Adaptability
o Aesthetics
o Analysis
o Assertiveness
o Attention to
detail
o Authenticity
o Brainstorming
o Calmness
o Charisma
o Collaboration
o Commitment
o Communication
o Confidence
o Conflict
management
/resolution
o Constructive
feedback
o Coordination
o Creativity
o Critical thinking /
observation
o Cultural
intelligence
o Curiosity
o Decision making
o Deductive
reasoning
o Dependability
o Depersonalization
o Diplomacy
o Discipline
o Emotional
intelligence
o Empathy
o Enthusiasm
o Experimentation
o Flexibility
o Generosity
o Goal setting
o Honesty
o Humour
o Imagination
o Innovation
o Leadership
o Listening skills /
active listening
o Logical
reasoning
o Management
skills
o Mentorship
o Mind-mapping
o Motivation
o Multi-tasking
o Negotiation
o Networking
o Observation
o Open-
mindedness
o Resilience
o Resourcefulness
o Responsibility
o Self-control / self-
management
o Self-motivation
o Sociability
o Speaking
o Strategic thinking
o Stress
management
o System analysis
o Taking
responsibility
o Task delegation
o Teamwork
o Technical writing
o Tenacity
o Time
management
o Tolerance
o Verbal
communication
o Visual
communication
o Willingness to
learn
o Work ethic
o Written
communication
o Open to
criticism
o Optimism
o Organization
o Patience
o Persuasion
o Perspective
o Planning &
prioritisation
o Positive attitude
o Presentation &
public thinking
o Problem-solving
o Professionalism
o Quality client
service
o Receptive
attitude
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

9. What are soft skills or power skills?
• The oil that makes the engine work
• The skills we use to engage with others to help deliver
our projects
• The techniques we use to be more effective
• Character traits and interpersonal skills that
characterise a person’s relationships with other people
- their Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ)
• Complement hard/technical skills (measurable and
formally taught)
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

10. Why are they hard to acquire?
• Poorly defined
• Typically acquired through self-development, self-
reflection, coaching/mentoring
• Mostly un-quantifiable – evidence based
• Some courses available
• Increasingly the focus of recruitment activity -
particularly now the importance of soft skills capability
is being recognised
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

12. Why do soft skills matter to a
project?
• Soft skills help us engage with others
• Engaged project teams produce better project
outcomes
• People want purpose and meaning from their work.
They want to be known for what makes them unique.
This is what drives engagement
• And they want relationships, particularly with a project
manager who can coach them to the next level.
This is who drives project team engagement
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

14. Johari window
• Everybody views life from a slightly different
perspectives
• Our own perspective will only ever have a
part of the picture
• Communication helps to extend our
perspective
• Understanding that people view life from
different perspectives help us to extend the
area that we can both see
People &
Enabling
Change
SIG’s
Johari window
self-awareness and mutual understanding
Me
You
Known
to one
another
Things I
can see
and you
cannot
Things
you can
see and I
cannot
Things
neither
of us can
see

15. Johari window
• Everybody views life from a slightly different
perspectives
• Our own perspective will only ever have a
part of the picture
• Communication helps to extend our
perspective
• Understanding that people view life from
different perspectives help us to extend the
area that we can both see
Johari window
self-awareness and mutual understanding
Me
You
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

16. Johari window
• Everybody views life from a slightly different
perspectives
• Our own perspective will only ever have a
part of the picture
• Communication helps to extend our
perspective
• Understanding that people view life from
different perspectives help us to extend the
area that we can both see
Johari window
self-awareness and mutual understanding
Me
You
Known
to one
another
Blind
spot
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

17. Let’s experiment with the Johari window
• Explore one another’s perspectives
• Ask open questions
• Ask simple questions
• Understand what the other person can see
about the question
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People
“Stakeholder management is a waste of
time?”

18. Meet others where they are, engage with
them, and gently reveal the vision
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

19. Walk with them, help the vision become theirs,
…………then it grows and you have a movement
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

20. Research identifies these as the top soft skills for Project People
o Accepting
criticism
o Accountability
o Accuracy
o Active learning
o Adaptability
o Aesthetics
o Analysis
o Assertiveness
o Attention to
detail
o Authenticity
o Brainstorming
o Calmness
o Charisma
o Collaboration
o Commitment
o Communication
o Confidence
o Conflict
management
/resolution
o Constructive
feedback
o Coordination
o Courage
o Creativity
o Critical thinking /
observation
o Cultural intelligence
o Curiosity
o Decision making
o Deductive
reasoning
o Dependability
o Depersonalization
o Diplomacy
o Discipline
o Emotional
intelligence
o Empathy
o Enthusiasm
o Experimentation
o Flexibility
o Generosity
o Goal setting
o Honesty
o Humour
o Imagination
o Innovation
o Leadership
o Listening skills
/ active
listening
o Logical
reasoning
o Management
skills
o Mentorship
o Mind-mapping
o Motivation
o Multi-tasking
o Negotiation
o Networking
o Observation
o Objectivity
o Open-
mindedness
o Resilience
o Resourcefulness
o Responsibility
o Self-control / self-
management
o Self-motivation
o Sociability
o Speaking
o Strategic thinking
o Stress
management
o System analysis
o Taking
responsibility
o Task delegation
o Teamwork
o Technical writing
o Tenacity
o Time
management
o Tolerance
o Verbal
communication
o Vision
o Visual
communication
o Willingness
to learn
o Work ethic
o Written
communication
o Open to criticism
o Optimism
o Organization
o Patience
o Perspective
o Persuasion
o Planning &
prioritisation
o Positive attitude
o Presentation &
public thinking
o Problem-solving
o Professionalism
o Quality client
service
o Receptive attitude
o Relationship
building
List is not exhaustive
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People

21. Soft skills for PMs
Marion’s network • Curiosity – environment and people
• Confidence
• Tenacity / Resilience
• Empathy
• Listening skills
• Objectivity
• Calmness
• Vision
• Perspective
• Positivity
• Openness / willingness
• Courage

22. Where can we find more info?

23. The APM
Leverage our membership

24. APM Competence
Framework
Setting up for success:
Life cycles
Governance arrangements
Sustainability
Financial management
Business case
Portfolio shaping
Preparing for change:
Procurement
Reviews
Assurance
Capability development
Transition management
Benefits management
People and behaviours:
Stakeholder management
and communication
Conflict resolution
Leadership
Team management
Diversity and inclusion
Ethics, compliance and
professionalism
Planning and managing
deployment:
Requirements management
Solutions development
Quality management
Integrated planning
Schedule management
Resource management
Resource capacity planning
Budgeting and cost control
Contract management
Risk and issue management
Change control

25. Popular PM topics

26. APM Resource Library
How to find it

27. APM Resource Library
How to find it

28. APM Resource Library
How to find it
• 10 pages of extensive resources:
• Leading Teams
• Professionalism
• Stakeholders

29. Don’t forget to record your CDP – what will be your reflective statement?
[Name] - CPD Activities Log
Activity Start date End date
CPD
hours
Development goal Reflective statement
APM talk NW Branch Conference - soft skills, harder than you
might think - Marion Thomas
09/05/2023 09/05/2023 1
Understand which soft skills I want to
prioritise and plan how to acquire
them
To be completed
NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People
Your CPD

30. My request to you…..
Choose 3 soft skills and intentionally put them into practice
tomorrow.
Message me on LinkedIn to tell me what you chose and how you
got on.
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NW Branch
Conference
Connecting
Projects & People