For several years now, PMI has been advocating the importance of power skills — those “soft” or “interpersonal” skills like communication and strategic thinking. Built on top of a solid foundation of technical skills, power skills enable project managers to align their projects to organizational objectives and inspire their teams to work together, solve problems and deliver results that contribute value to the organization and its customers.

We believe in this connection so strongly that we have updated the PMI Talent Triangle^® — which represents the ideal skill set for project professionals — to reflect that power skills are a necessity for project managers. When integrated with strong technical skills that stay current with evolving ways of working, power skills help project professionals navigate the rapidly changing business landscape in which we now operate.

The connection is borne out through research. Our Narrowing the Talent Gap report, produced in collaboration with PwC, indicates that power skills top the list of the most important capabilities project managers need. And we have seen a number of other organizations echo this emphasis through reports that connect power skills to outcomes.

Our latest Pulse of the Profession^® research was designed to explore the connections between power skills and project success. The results reveal some compelling links. For example, 92% of respondents agree that power skills help them work smarter. And organizations that place a priority on power skills see higher rates of project management maturity, benefits realization management maturity and organizational agility.

Project professionals who hone their abilities in communication, problem-solving, collaborative leadership and strategic thinking will have the most critical power skills to help them fulfill organizational objectives.

The report also identifies opportunities for organizations to capitalize on these connections and drive increased project success and value. Organizations only spend about a quarter of their training budget on power skills, for example, and do not universally assess power skills in project managers or teams during performance evaluations.

When power skills are an organizational priority — communicated clearly by leadership and reinforced through professional development offerings and individual and team assessments — organizations can expect better project performance.

Read on to learn more about these connections and the steps that you and your organization can take to harness the competitive advantage of a strong emphasis on power skills.

Pierre Le Manh

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PMI President and CEO