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A Quick Guide to Client Communication Skills
Collaboration 10 min read

A Quick Guide to Client Communication Skills

Client communication skills are crucial for delivering impressive work and retaining your best clients. Here’s what you need to know to communicate effectively.

7 Tips to Nail Your Annual Review
Leadership 3 min read

7 Tips to Nail Your Annual Review

We asked our faithful Wrike users for their own tips on how to nail your annual review. Some tips are for managers, other tips are for employees. See what they have to say, and apply what seems wise in order to get through your annual review with minimal stress. Annual Review Tips for Managers We asked: "As a manager, how do you make sure you run a fair, efficient, and effective process?" Managers from various industries gave us their best tips to make sure everyone comes out of the review process feeling like they had a positive experience. 1. Be fair and consistent "Make sure you are reviewing everyone on appropriate standards." — Matt Graf "Have appropriate and fair measures in place." — Karien Bredenkamp 2. Communicate the process and goals  "Set clear and objective goals." — Nick Stelmazuk "Daily communication with everyone and planning ahead." — Sammy 3. Have tough conversations early on "Daily communication about tasks, even if they're conversations you don't want to have (i.e. when your employee isn't performing)." — Mitchell Moss Annual Review Tips for Employees We asked: "As an employee, what are some things you do to make sure you nail your annual review?" Employees from around the globe shared tips on everything from dress code to how to prepare so you rock your annual review meeting. Decide which tips will work best for you. 1. Prepare in advance "Prepare early, track goals throughout the year." — Nick Stelmazuk "Spend enough time preparing - don't try to 'wing it.'" — Karien Bredenkamp 2. Dress for the occasion "Look snappy, and be honest." — Tory Dirk Trone 3. Show proof of results, don't just tell  "Be honest about my standing of where I am with my projects, and what I have completed and how." — Matthew Miller "Give a detailed and honest description of how I've accomplished the things I worked on, and how I've completed the tasks that have been assigned to me. Also, I track the time I spend on each task so I can have some physical proof of my work." — Ivana Reyes "I make sure that I quantify my job with my tasks in Wrike." — Christina Anstett 4. Set new goals for the next year "Review or renew my short/medium/long-term goals; Put a wish list of things I'd like; Have questions for how I can improve." — Mitchell Moss What tips can you share? Not every piece of advice on this list will be applicable for you, but hopefully you've found something useful to nudge you in the right direction. Help out your peers by sharing your annual review best practices in the comments below. Read Next: Don't Become a Project Manager from Hell!

How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Collaboration 7 min read

How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Discover how imposter syndrome affects well-being and how to address it. Learn how to overcome imposter syndrome in the workplace with these tips and insights.

Why is Project Management an Important Skill for Managers?
Leadership 10 min read

Why is Project Management an Important Skill for Managers?

What does it take to be a great manager? What skills do you need to be an effective leader? We break down the most important competencies you need to be an effective manager and the project management skills you need to lead your team to success.

How to Develop the Essential Skills to Be a Project Manager
Project Management 10 min read

How to Develop the Essential Skills to Be a Project Manager

Interested in becoming an even better project manager? Of course you are. This post breaks down some of the most important technical and soft skills for project managers and provides some actionable advice for stepping up your game.

Using If Then Statements in Excel to Set the Conditions for Success
Project Management 3 min read

Using If Then Statements in Excel to Set the Conditions for Success

Maintaining spreadsheets is not the easiest or most effective method for managing a project. Still, should you find yourself relying on a workbook to track assigned tasks and overall team performance, it's important to learn how to do if then statements in Excel.

A Guide To Successful Idea Generation Techniques
Marketing 7 min read

A Guide To Successful Idea Generation Techniques

Try these proven idea generation techniques to create innovative and successful campaigns and concepts. Discover how to generate new ideas with Wrike.

48 Experts Share Their #1 Tip for New Project Managers
Project Management 10 min read

48 Experts Share Their #1 Tip for New Project Managers

In our LinkedIn Project Management 2.0 group (you can join us here!), we asked experienced project managers to divulge their #1 tip for newcomers to the field. Not surprisingly, these process fanatics shared a plethora of great tips to help newcomers succeed in this ever-changing area of work. Interested in what kind of advice they had to improve your project management processes and how to get a project manager job? Read through their project management advice below, and see what you can learn as you walk into your first, second, or even tenth PM role. "I think that all the important tips could be summarized with a metaphor: You should be like an Orchestra Director for your team, with a detailed project plan as score." — Jose Ignacio Bernaldo de Quiros Ochoa Everyone Agrees — Excellent Communication is the #1 Indicator of Success Understand the culture Communication is key, and much of that will be informal, so building your network and understanding culture and dynamics are key. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Be accessible to learn more Always allow people to come to you. Be accessible and listen to what project team members will ask or comment all the time. The more you know, the better you are able to make decisions. Buy knowledge and sell solutions unless you want to pay for project deviations. Fábio Issao Watanabe Communicate to identify changes quickly I think that success depends on communication and focus on the goal. Good communication with the team identifies deviations in a timely manner. Good communication with customers can quickly identify changes in scope. Oscar Teran Keep detailed project notes to share Follow up on tasks and Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Keep detailed notes and make sure everyone on the team is aware of what is happening. Monteau (Montee) Outlaw Discuss challenges, roadblocks, & risks Make sure to be transparent within your core and your extended project team, as well towards your managers, owner, sponsor. Communicate roadblocks, challenges, and risks clearly and in advance for everyone to see. Know and accept: no one cares for, or is as committed to your project as much, as you are/must be. Janos Veres Listen to opinions from everyone, even if you reject them later Keep communication channels open for all stakeholders: the team, the sponsor, the customer, the end user, your boss, etc. I am not saying that you let yourself be manipulated by every party, just try to listen before making decisions. Hear every opinion, then make your route. Mehmet Degirmencioglu Respect every opinion as if it were your own Train communication, create empathy with your stakeholders. Respect and value everybody's opinions, even if you don't completely agree. João Rodrigues Challenge ideas to make them better You are hired to manage projects; your team is hired to be the technical expertise to deliver that project. Therefore, if they are telling you something, it's usually a good idea to take in what they're saying and, in some cases, challenge it. If you're not technical, ask for clarification on points you genuinely don't understand. You can also seek advice from colleagues who are more established as a technical project manager. That's normally enough for technical teams to make them think through their explanations, so they'll carry out an internal check to ensure their thinking is sound. Andrew Hudson Build rapport and trust with clients Build rapport with the client. Build trust and then never lose it. Under promise and over deliver. Plan and communicate. Marc Hammoud Don’t Pretend You Know Everything on Day One Always ask "that question" You may not have the experience needed to do things 100% correct the first time, so keep it real and allow people to give you suggestions. My #1 suggestion to newbies is: Always ask "that question". Finding a balance between asking questions or following up offline is a talent you will learn over time, but for now, don't be shy. You might harm your own project by not speaking up until it becomes a show stopper near implementation time. Speak up and you will find your team is truly on your side! John Skowronski, PMI-ACP, PMP Don't isolate your team with overconfidence Do not think you know everything. I've seen too many project managers take a hard line and push things through because they think they know best. That breeds resentment in the project team. I've seen project managers exert their supposed technical or subject authority on a project, only for that project to ultimately remove those additions at a later and more expensive stage. Andrew Hudson Learn from every experience You don't have to know everything about everything — it's ok to ask questions and learn from each experience. Ann Lynne Dodson To Be the Best, Hone Your Leadership & Management Skills Make sure you motivate and lead your team Soft skills are very important. The people involved make the difference between success and failure. You can have knowledge and methods, but you need skills to motivate and lead. Maarten Verreck Manage your people, not just your documentation Following the PM process and keeping up with all the communication tools like the risk log, issue log, schedule, and deliverables should all take a back seat to leading your team. For years I prided myself in being really good at the documentation side of project management, but it never really mattered that much. The most important skill a project manager must master is Leadership! Larry Sparkman Build a bridge for two-way trust Trust is the biggest thing for me, because if I don't trust my technical team then I'm inherently suspicious of them and vice versa. Building a relationship of trust, and therefore openness, is crucial if you are to deliver multiple successful projects. Andrew Hudson Stay flexible to take on every challenge Keep your knowledge constantly updated, trying to develop new capabilities and remaining flexible in terms of project management methodologies to use, etc. Things can change very rapidly in this field, and as the leader of your team, flexibility and a listening ear are most important to manage the risks and change. Nirmal Singh Delegate wisely and lead by example Learn what you can delegate. Learn who you can delegate to. Lead by example. Work harder than anyone else. Treat everyone you touch with respect and kindness. Lori Galster Train your people to be future leaders It should always be remembered that delegation is not purely about sharing workload. Also it gives the team member a sense of ownership and liability and allows them to learn... Today's team member can be tomorrow's PM. Andy Nelson, AMBCS, P2 Cert Practitioner Think outside the box The key for successful PM is communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. Working smarter and offering solutions. Thinking outside the box and strategically looking at the bigger picture. Kassim Toorawa Protect your team You "Protect" the project team, they do the rest. Onur Karabulut And don't forget to proactively celebrate success! The most important part: celebrate with your team who made it possible! Puneet Gulati, MSP, PMP, ITIL v3 Be the Person Who Keeps Work Organized & Meetings Focused Use templates to stay organized Try to stay as organized as you can, use templates and other tools provided by PMI (you can find them on PMI's website). Bhawna Mundotia, PMP Document! Document! Document! Always keep a track record of the work being done. Pietro Cecere Step up and capture ideas during meetings If you are in a meeting that needs focus because people are talking in circles, step up to the white board or large note pad and start scribing their ideas, requirements, comments, issues, etc. — preferably into actionable categories. Do not speak! Just scribe. If they start to focus on what you are writing, then you can ask them if they want to identify owners for each actionable item. Jerry B. Fisher Learn What Inspires Your New Team, Then Achieve Success Together Know the working culture before you introduce change First understand the work/culture/situation, and then make your moves/changes. PMs always want to do something new and different based on their experiences, which is a good thing, but do it smartly. You can't just jump in and start making changes to the system without understanding it; every company has their own limitations, constraints, and culture. Make changes in such a way that they get absorbed in the right attitude. Santosh Maurya Understand everyone's motivations Learn that project management can be as much about politics as handling projects. Remember that not everyone working on the project is actually for the project. Learn the motivations and intentions of not just your team, but also upwards to the stakeholders and business users. Andy Nelson, AMBCS, P2 Cert Practitioner Build a culture of sharing and innovation to build a strong team Foster a culture where everyone's ideas are heard to allow more innovation to take place. The added bonus is that the project team itself becomes a lot stronger — team members are far more open to suggesting and working through ideas if they know they'll be heard, rather than thinking they'll be shouted down all the time. Andrew Hudson Know the Limitations of Your Project Team — And Yourself Don't forget the human The methodologies are great if well-used, but they won't work if you do not remember that you are working with other people. Human responses are not always logical or predictable. Tiago Prado Know your team's strengths Understand the skill set & mind set of the people that you're going to handle in your team. Prabhu M Leave egos behind Be aware of strengths and limitations in your team and, more importantly, yourself. There is no room for egos. Louie Turcotte, Jr Find what sets you apart Determine your specialization and go for it. The best thing you can do is to decide what sets you apart and make that shine. Remember you are turning concepts into realities and it takes creativity to get you there. Develop thick skin and never fall in love with your first draft, no matter what it is. James L Thompson, PMP, CSM, Executive MBA, ITIL Ask Questions to Understand Current Processes, & Keep Them Simple Ask follow-up questions When someone makes a suggestion, I like to follow up with background questions: When and under what circumstances have you implemented that in the past? Why was that approach successful? What made it more efficient, cost effective, etc.? Then I broaden my scope of understanding. Lori Galster Don't make mountains out of molehills DON'T make a huge mind-numbing deal out of the project. Newbies are generally so eager to implement their knowledge or are so psyched up about being in the shoes of a PM, they generally end up overcomplicating simple things. I have seen "accidental" project managers perform better than those who come to the job armed with the whole pedigree of PM tools, techniques, and strategies. It's better to keep work simple and streamlined so that attention can be devoted to planning, actual implementation, and overall scope and quality control, instead of waiting for the heavens to open up and rain down! Trina Moitra Make progress the priority  Do not always look at things from a process perspective. Governance is important, but when it impedes progress then there is an issue. Dave Regan Clarify Everyone's Roles & Responsibilities on Every Project Understand your own role first Clearly understand your role and responsibilities and your delegated authority. This will depend on the type of organization you're operating under. Also understand your key stakeholders and their level of influence. Kassim Toorawa Analyze project heartbeats daily I suggest accidental managers follow the RACI model and analyze project heartbeats daily. R- Who is Responsible to do the work  A- Who is Accountable for final decisions and ultimate ownership  C- Who is Consulted before a decision or action is taken  I- Who is Informed that the decision or action has been taken  The RACI model is helpful to define/identify/clarify roles and responsibilities. Once you have those, match them up with processes. It's especially useful in clarifying roles and responsibilities in cross-functional processes. For example, an organization may have a person who performs the role of project manager, and may also perform the role of test manager. Hambirrao Patil Beware of role creep Watch for ROLE creep, which is similar to scope creep in a project. In role creep, your role as a PM might be under constant pressure — from academics, LinkedIn groups, co-workers, and especially those working above you. This is because there are so many forces at work around a substantial project, especially in a non-projectized organization where there is no discipline to comply with standardized and repeatable project management processes. There will be pressure to be innovative, be creative, and be an agent of change, and you will have managers asking you to list all your accomplishments. Your ultimate role is always to deliver what is in the WBS and project plan, use a designated process for scope change, risk monitoring, and issue management, and maintain good communication. Michael Ayres MS, PMP, CISSP, CSEP Make Sure You Have a Full Understanding of the Project Objectives, Assets, & Risks Know the project inside out Understand the project — so the planning, objectives, results that the project wants to achieve, and of course know the monitoring plan: what are the indicators, its tools, etc. Marta Acero Set the goals first Establish the goal and objectives (SMART) of your new project. Once this is done well, I would immediately do the PESTEL analysis and build the SWOT analysis. Then, it's planning, communication, and organization. For your project setup plan, you can also use the What, When, Who, Which, Where, etc. model. Osvaldo Mirante, PhD Understand the project needs Having a clear understanding of both the functional and technical definition/needs of the project upfront, with stakeholder buy-in, is extremely important. Muqtader MBA Make sure the project achieves its original goal Focus on specified project objectives! Muqtader MBA Control the project scope Knowing your exact scope of work very well is the key to controlling the rest. Mohammad Hamdan, PMPⓇ Think about what can outside forces could affect your project — positively or negatively Look for organizational process assets that are available to you. Identify the environmental factors that will influence your projects and how they'll be delivered. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Make work actionable Make sure everything is actionable and responsibilities are assigned and transparent. Henriette Ebbesen Laidlaw Allow time for multiple iterations Plan and drive project activities according to strategic guidelines. Allow the project team a few iterations over viable and plausibly valid alternative solutions. Never be afraid to ask the project owner for clarification or adjustment of target, timeline, resources, or scope. Janos Veres Don't forget to manage potential risks You need to understand the organization's culture to make a roadmap and deliver projects on time and within budget. You should also keep an eye on risks arising during the course of project implementation, with a risk mitigation plan in place. Puneet Gulati, MSP, PMP, ITIL v3 Get Buy-In From Stakeholders Early & Manage Their Expectations Along the Way Identify every stakeholder Identify all stakeholders and develop terms of references. This will align all roles of different individuals in the project and make it easier to relate with them. Lesiba Noah Konaite Sell the project to all necessary parties Involve as many as possible stakeholders at the beginning of a project to gain broader buy-in. Andries Venter, Inclusive Project Manager Hold 1-on-1 project feedback sessions Before kicking off the project, connect with all the key stakeholders in 1-on-1 sessions to get their input on the project, their goals, their level of support, etc. This will uncover hidden "gotchas" and misalignment that may come up later if you don't do this. Tom Treanor Make stakeholders believe in the goal, not just the budget Getting stakeholder buy-in on the outcome and benefit of completing the project is more important than stakeholder acceptance of the scope, schedule, and budget. If decision-makers believe in what the project will achieve, they will be more likely to accept changes to the scope and tolerances if you can show that it will lead to a better outcome. If all you've sold is a budget and a delivery date, you're doomed to failure. Chris Cox Continually manage expectations as the project goes on Manage the stakeholders' expectations within given limits. That would encompass all the necessary requirements such as deliverables, scope, etc. John Mpungu Don't Be Afraid of Failure, Learn From It Fail fast, recover faster Failure is an option. Fail fast so you can recover quickly and learn. Sreekumar Govindan Turn mistakes into learning opportunities Don't be afraid of mistakes — learn from them. They are the building blocks for future success in this challenging and dynamic profession! Susan Kirkpatrick, PMP, CSSBB Deliver what the business actually needs A high percentage of projects fail because they don't deliver what the business needs. Even when you have that nice 400-page requirements document that was signed off on, it does not mean everyone understands what is being delivered. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Ultimate Success Comes From Careful Management, Not Just Careful Planning Manage the problem, not just the Gantt chart Reality drives the schedule, not the other way around. It's not about wrangling Gantt charts, it's about wrangling people and problems. James Radvan Plan to succeed & persevere Every day there is a chance that you will have your back to the wall. Plan to succeed. Coordinate your priorities, delegate to those in your team, and make the project work. Paul Alwood Keep your eye on the overall objectives No one on the business side cares about the Gantt chart or status reports or the PM deliverables. What they are looking for is the capabilities to achieve the business objectives your project will deliver. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP And Remember: Nothing Beats Hands-On Experience You can't fake experience Experience is the most valued ingredient of the perfect PM brew, and that can either come with the salt and pepper of years or from a very competent mentor. There is no way to fake experience. Trina Moitra Expose yourself to real-life situations early on Gain as much experience in project management as you can. Books, theory, and concepts are all fine, but real-life situations are much tougher. The more you face these situations, the smarter you become. There is no better way to learn project management than to expose yourself to real-life situations. Mangal Pandya Rely on your people skills, and push for the success at the end of the project Don't give up. A Project Manager position is not a rewarding job every day. You have to work really hard to get things done (especially in a Matrix environment), so you have to rely on your people skills a lot. (Keep those sharp!) In the end, you will persevere, and when the project finishes successfully, you will love that feeling of success. Bhawna Mundotia, PMP What advice can you share? Understanding the basics of how to start a project management business and how to manage project managers are necessary first steps to take. Have any additional information on how to improve your project management skills? Let's keep the conversation going here! Share your advice and thoughts in the comments below. Tell us what you'd add to this list, or expand upon a piece of advice that really resonated with you. *Note: Some of the above responses have been slightly modified for clarity, grammar, and length.

10 Free and Paid Online Resources for Learning Creative Skills
Marketing 5 min read

10 Free and Paid Online Resources for Learning Creative Skills

Whether you’re working as an advertising/marketing professional, freelancing in graphic design, or a hobbyist photographer, there's always something new you can learn in order to enhance your creative skill set. So instead of wasting time on social media or cat videos (my favorite), why not check out these recommended online resources that can help you learn new, creative skills? And sometimes, flexing your muscles in unfamiliar territory may be just the spark you need to give a little 'Oomph!' to your daily problem solving and creativity. Online Resources for Learning New Creative Skills Free resources 1. edX: It was tough deciding which of the three to include on this list: edX,  Coursera, or Khan Academy. edX won out because of its wider range of courses on Design, Art & Culture, and even Music Production. Courses are totally free, however they are not on-demand. Like a brick-and-mortar school, they have start and end dates and must be accomplished within the allotted time. 2. FutureLearn: Owned by The Open University, FutureLearn offers free courses in everything from business and law to literature, history, health, science, language, and of course, a lot of creative arts & media (e.g. storytelling, songwriting, fiction writing). Again, courses are not on-demand; they have set start and end dates. 3. Tuts+ Free Tutorials: In a sub-section of the larger Tuts+ website, they offers free (and short) tutorials on specific creative tasks under categories, such as coding, web design, photo/video, music/audio, motion graphics, and business. 4. Instructables: Ever wanted to make your own geeky Halloween costume or build a security camera from a 3-D printed body and a Raspberry Pi CPU? Instructables is where you'll find the detailed, photographed instructions to accomplish your unique do-it-yourself projects. Comes with a built-in quirky creative community to support your every project! 5. Smashing Magazine: A well-known online magazine for web developers and designers focusing on coding, design, mobile, graphics, UX, and Wordpress. Aside from niche articles tackling everything from web standards to gorgeous wallpapers, there is also an abundance of tutorials to help you accomplish step-by-step tasks. Paid resources 6. Udemy: Despite this being more of a general online learning resource, don't discount Udemy's huge bank of design, photography, and music courses. Every so often they even have site-wide promos that discount all courses to around $10. A good starting point for any education. 7. Lynda.com: A true holdover from before Web 2.0, Lynda is possibly the most well-known online tutorial website. Partly because it covers such a wide breadth of topics, from web development to design, from animation and video, to music and audio. They even have courses in business and education. You'll need to be a member to gain access, and membership starts at about $20/month. 8. CreativeLive: Dozens of creative classes segmented by interest: audio, crafts, art/design, photo/video, money/life. The beautiful thing about this site is that on-air classes can be enjoyed for FREE. But on-demand access to it will cost you anywhere from $20-$99, depending on course length and complexity. 9. Curious: Their name explains a lot. This is a site created so you can indulge your curiosity and learn a thing or two on a wide variety of topics. Under their free plan you can take a new free lesson everyday — choose from hundreds of courses broadcast over 10 channels that include crafts, music, photos, and more. But with a monthly or annual subscription, you get the whole shebang, including mobile access and an ad-free experience. 10. Treehouse: This resource is specifically for those who want to learn web design and web development, with courses centered around programming languages like PHP, Ruby, HTML, CSS, Wordpress, and even mobile app platforms. Basic plans begin at $29/month. What will you learn this month? Keep learning new skills and encourage the rest of your teammates to join you on the journey. It's a great way to add to your skill set as well as bring more expertise to your organization. For actionable strategies on growing your internal creative team into a world-class agency, please download our free eBook, available now.   Photo Credit: iVincent by JD Hancock on Flickr. Some rights reserved, changes made. 

The Guide to Making Better Decisions
Leadership 10 min read

The Guide to Making Better Decisions

Solid decision-making is one of the core pillars of effective leadership. Top strategies to uplevel your decision-making skills.

Top 3 Essential Technical Project Manager Skills
Project Management 7 min read

Top 3 Essential Technical Project Manager Skills

Technical project management is a growing field and a distinct subset of project management. Do you have the tools to keep pace with a world growing more digitized by the day? Learn the top three essential technical project manager skills you need to succeed as a TPM.

Why Are Habits Important for Productivity?
Productivity 3 min read

Why Are Habits Important for Productivity?

Productivity is simply a matter of choosing to work smart every day. Ask successful people their productivity secret and they’ll typically say it’s consistent daily habits. But what exactly are habits, and why are productive work habits so difficult to form? Our short Slideshare tackles these questions in 14 slides, sharing input from neuroscience, psychology, and business leadership experience. Key takeaways: Habits take up 45% of daily life. Habits are "autopilot" behaviors which save our energy for creative problem solving. 45% of these habitual actions are even done at the same location every day. It takes approximately 66 days to form a new habit. More details in the actual presentation below: Check out the "Productive Work Habits" presentation on Slideshare  And if you want to discover concrete tips for forming productive habits in your workplace, download our free eBook: 5 Strategies for Forming Team Productivity Habits.  

Advance Your Career by Playing to Your Strengths at Work
Leadership 5 min read

Advance Your Career by Playing to Your Strengths at Work

What are your strengths and weaknesses? If the last time you considered this question was during a job interview, you're probably past due for a little self-reflection. And while it's important to acknowledge where you have room for improvement, it's actually best not to spend too much time and energy working on your weaknesses. Instead, focus on doing more of what you're already great at. After all, if your writing skills are a 1 out of 10, even months of work might only get you to a 4 or 5. So devote that time to pinpointing areas where you excel and finding ways to make your true talents shine. When the work you do draws on your natural abilities, it's less arduous. It makes work more interesting and engaging, elevating your performance and attracting the kind of positive attention that’s key for advancing your career. But true introspection is not easy, and identifying your personal strengths in a meaningful way can be a challenge.  5 Ways to Identify Your Personal Strengths Some people are good at asking the big-picture questions: what problem are we trying to solve and why? What are our company goals? These visionary thinkers are able to create an inspiring, positive picture of the future and rally others around it. Others excel at analyzing facts and figures and determining what needs to be done when, boiling down big-picture thinking into clear, specific goals. Still others are good at using proven techniques and tools to make processes more effective and efficient. To identify your core strengths, ask yourself the following questions:  Which activities are the most satisfying or fulfilling for you? What energizes you at work?  What tasks do your colleagues come to you for help with? What types of work do you get the most praise for? When you look up from your work to find that two hours have flown by, what kind of projects are you working on? What kinds of skills or abilities are you using when you feel most "in the zone?"  What kinds of activities do you do when you’re not at work? What types of hobbies or volunteer work do you do? Organizing events? Building relationships? For an even deeper understanding of your strengths, ask colleagues, mentors, friends, and family for feedback. Ask them about times when you made an important contribution or helped them in a meaningful way, then look for patterns or themes. Do you stay calm under pressure? Are you reliable? Show enthusiasm and curiosity? Persevere when times get tough? You might be pleasantly surprised at how many strengths your peers recognize and appreciate in you!  How to Apply Your Strengths to Your Daily Work Now that you've identified them, how can you structure your work to play to your strengths? Every position has certain constraints, and not every aspect of your job will be a natural complement to the type of work you excel at. But that doesn't mean you can't tailor your projects and teamwork to play up your advantages and those of your colleagues — and draw positive attention to your efforts and accomplishments.  Even small changes can make a big impact, like shifting your schedule or adjusting how many meetings you hold. For instance, if you find that your strengths include both relationship building and creative problem solving, ask your team to share their biggest roadblocks and brainstorm ways to improve products and processes.  In some instances, no amount of fine-tuning or rescheduling will make your job a fit for your natural strengths and abilities. If you find that's the case for you, it may be time to reevaluate whether your current position is truly a good fit for your career goals and personal happiness — and arming yourself with a deeper understanding of the types of situations in which you excel is a critical first step in finding a new position or career path that you can thrive in.  Knowing your own strengths and that of others on your team makes it easier to find that collaboration sweet spot where everyone is able to play to their strengths, and not get bogged down by motivation-draining tasks where they can’t add value. So stop dwelling on your weaknesses, and start making your strengths even stronger. For more ways to up your game at work, check out these articles on simple ways to develop your leadership skills and bring more positivity to your work.  Sources: HBR.org, Forbes.com, Medium.com

How to Increase Productivity at Work:<br>6 Mindset Hacks
Productivity 5 min read

How to Increase Productivity at Work:<br>6 Mindset Hacks

So take a deep breath, go on a break, and: …change your environment Switch the scenery to reboot your mind. Once fatigue seems to be overtaking, take a walk around the building, go to the terrace or even stand outside under the sun for 5 minutes. And if you absolutely can’t get up from your chair, spend some time listening to music that would help your mind meditate and travel to a different place, for example, Roberta Shapiro’s relaxing “Calming Collection” or the diverse “Playing for Change” project’s compilation. …occupy your hands source: lsned.com This is another pleasant way to get a quick mind-reboot and mobilize your brain’s hidden resources. Here’s why: Besides being efficient stress-reducers, manual activities with thingies like hand grippers, yo-yos, ball of whacks and even baby beads implement fine motor skills and therefore motivate your brain to work. Being compact, they can easily fit on your work desk and come to the rescue when you need it. …write the problem down A modern creative worker can hardly imagine a single hour without digital interaction. But sometimes it makes sense to visualize your problem in an alternative way. As a matter of fact, researchers say that the process handwriting inspires spontaneous ideas. After all, it’s our natural habit. So grab a pen or a pencil and phrase your questions on paper. For example, you have trouble organizing a TV commercial shooting.  Write down all the grey areas you have at the moment, like “How to make Angelina Jolie make a guest appearance for free?” “Where to get a blue talking parrot in 5 days?” and “How on Earth to make this parrot read the script?” and then give it another brainstorm. Once you get an idea, don’t forget to enter it into Wrike to make sure it doesn’t slip out of sight! …use a whiteboard source: cbs.com Think wider. If you can write it, why not do this on a whiteboard? Adepts of the agile methods in software development and project management saw the benefits of this tool long ago. Similar to the pen-and-paper trick, this can give you a different perspective of the problem. Your brainstorming process can be more visual and, therefore, this might be the source of an extra dose of efficiency. But there’s also the benefit of the collective brain that you can leverage.  With a fresh and unbiased look, your colleagues who see the same whiteboard might help you find the thing you missed for solving your problem. …do some exercise When the load of a task presses too heavily on your head and shoulders, another way to have a fresh start is to get moving. Surely it shouldn’t be a strenuous workout in the middle of the workday (this would drain your glucose, which is essential for brain effort). Walking the stairs to another floor, stretching your back, doing a couple of squats — that’s the kind of exercise that will cheer you up and help you to keep fit. During physical exercises, your brain will be way more captivated with producing endorphins (a.k.a. “the happiness hormones”), rather than staying painfully fixed on your work. …go be social Chatting with your colleagues, playing office games, and getting a good laugh is, apparently,  practical. Some companies have already taken laughing seriously. For example, Rich Enos, CEO and co-founder of innovative learning center Study Point Inc., says that his company uses laughter and humor to build a corporate culture: "We have impromptu theme days, as well as caption contests, like the ones in the New Yorker." You don’t need any research to know that laughter not only reduces workers’ tension and stress, but also improves general team spirit in the office. So might the office games like darts or foosball: Get away from the desk for a short while, challenge your peer in a quick game, have some fun and watch your productivity blast! As Stephen King once said, “Change is as good as rest.” Some of the world-famous companies shared the well-known writer’s opinion on this matter and made the project-switch a part of their official policy. We have to admit, they report impressive results: Google’s “20 percent” time policy resulted in projects like Google News and Google Reader; 3M’s “15 percent” rule led the way to the creation of an innovative polymer and, according to legend, the well-known “Post-It”; Gore’s “dabble time” model added up to the launching of the ELIXIR guitar strings, which now outsell competitors’ products two-to-one. All together, we believe that productivity depends not only on a concentrated and devoted work, but also, to a certain extent, on a proper rest. We hope these entertaining, yet useful, rest hacks will help you reboot your mind, freshen up and crack even the most resistant problem easily!

Convergent Thinking vs. Divergent Thinking: Why Planning Isn’t Always the Right Thing to Do
Project Management 10 min read

Convergent Thinking vs. Divergent Thinking: Why Planning Isn’t Always the Right Thing to Do

It’s time for project management professionals to not only think of themselves as the keepers of plans, but also the ones responsible for pulling the very best out of teams. To do so, they need to encourage and enable both pieces of the creative problem solving process: divergent thinking and convergent thinking.

Work Skills You Need on Your Resume in 2021
Leadership 10 min read

Work Skills You Need on Your Resume in 2021

Navigating the highly competitive job market can be brutal. In a recent Jobvite survey, nearly three in four respondents said they believe finding a job has become much harder following the pandemic.  It’s clearer now more than ever how important it is for your resume to stand out. In fact, nearly 24% of hiring managers spend 30 seconds or less reviewing a resume to determine whether a candidate is qualified for a position or not. You quite literally have seconds to catch their attention before your resume ends up in the recycling bin with the rest of the candidates that didn’t make the cut. So, how exactly do you set yourself apart and stand out from the crowd? Highlighting your work skills on your resume is the best place to start. We did some digging and pulled together some work skills examples in various categories to inspire you to revitalize your resume.  Important social work skills for the workplace What are social work skills? Social skills, otherwise known as interpersonal skills, are essential in helping us communicate with one another in the workplace. These skills allow us to build relationships, interact, and communicate with those around us in a meaningful and effective way. This includes verbal and nonverbal cues.  Social work skills are essential in every job. Whether you work on a team, are in a client-facing role, or are an individual contributor reporting to a direct manager, solid social skills will help you succeed in your position.  Let’s take a look at some of the most important social work skills for the workplace:  1. Empathy One of the best ways to interact well with others is to put yourself in their shoes and understand how they feel. Empathetic people can understand how others are feeling and can identify with those feelings in some way.  Having empathy is a vital trait, especially for those who hold leadership positions. Being empathetic isn’t something you can force, and it doesn’t happen overnight if it doesn’t come naturally to you. This skill takes a conscious effort to build and will help you forge and maintain stronger workplace relationships. 2. Active listening Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation with a colleague and felt like they weren’t paying attention to a single word you were saying? Or have you ever been chatting with a coworker and felt like they heard you and gave you their utmost attention? The latter is known as active listening.  Active listening involves giving someone your full, undivided attention and it allows you to build trust and strong relationships with your colleagues and clients. Active listening requires practice, but it is a skill that can be acquired with proper training and effort. 3. Emotional intelligence At a high level, emotional intelligence refers to recognizing and being aware of the emotions of both yourself and other people. Those with high emotional intelligence are known for being self-aware and can practice self-regulation, particularly in stressful and potentially overwhelming situations at work. Emotional intelligence is critical in the workplace because it contributes to strong, long-term relationships and can help you manage and appropriately tailor your reactions.  4. Conflict resolution According to recent research, 65% of workers experienced conflict with another coworker. Conflict is inevitable in the workplace, which means developing a solid set of conflict resolution skills can help you manage and navigate these situations efficiently.  Conflict resolution is the ability to address the root cause of disagreements and devise a solution that works for all parties involved. You can use various techniques to help resolve conflicts, so it’s essential to learn and understand how to address different disputes. 5. Written communication Social skills refer to how we communicate with one another, which means written skills are a must. Some forms of written communication include emails, instant messages, documents, reports, slide decks, and your resume. Using appropriate grammar, proper spelling, and following formatting guidelines will allow you to communicate effectively with others. 6. Nonverbal communication When it comes to communication, it’s easy to think about what we are saying, but we don’t always focus on how we are saying it. Nonverbal skills can dramatically impact the way your message is received.  Your body language, eye contact, facial expressions, and tone can completely change the message you are trying to deliver to your coworkers. It’s important to be aware of these subtle cues so that you can make sure your message isn’t misconstrued or misinterpreted.  Work-related skills for virtual environments You might not be working with your colleagues side-by-side in the same office. In addition to the skills we discussed above, remote work requires some different skills and disciplines.  Below are a few competencies that you’ll definitely want to have when collaborating in virtual work environments:  Self-motivation: There’s a big difference between in-person office environments and virtual workplace settings. At the office, your manager can simply stop by your desk or quickly check in to see how things are going. While your supervisor can technically do the same via email or instant message, you ultimately don’t have anyone looking over your shoulder 24/7 at your home office (unless you have pets, children, or spouses nearby!). That means self-motivation and knowing how to hold yourself accountable to get your work done are vital to helping you thrive in a virtual role. Adaptability: Adaptability is beneficial in any setting, but it’s a particularly beneficial skill in virtual environments. Whether you’re working with a distributed team and constantly trying to navigate time zones or your presentation gets interrupted due to an unreliable internet connection, adaptability is an important skill to help you navigate the unexpected and ever-changing conditions you may find yourself running up against. Digital and technical knowledge: In virtual environments, employees work remotely and generally rely on several tools to collaborate and tackle their to-do lists. Between project management software, instant messaging, video conferencing, document sharing, and email, there are many different technologies to navigate daily. If you’re working in a virtual environment, it’s essential to feel comfortable using these platforms if you want to keep up with the pace of your work. It’s also worth mentioning that, while you still may be able to reach the IT help desk, you may not receive assistance as quickly as you would in an office setting. That means you might have to do some troubleshooting and problem-solving on your own. What teamwork skills are important for 2021? Teamwork makes the dream work, right?  Teamwork skills are a subset of skills that enable us to work well with groups of people (meaning, our teams) to achieve a shared goal or outcome. In 2021 and beyond, as we see a shift toward hybrid work models, honing in on your teamwork skills can help you land your dream gig. Here are the teamwork skills that are important to develop for 2021 and beyond: 1. Reliability Being reliable is arguably the most crucial teamwork skill. Those who are reliable can be depended on and trusted to do their part time and time again. They show a certain level of commitment to their work and colleagues, meet deadlines (or even get work in early), and follow through on any action or task they say they will do.  You want to be a reliable teammate so your colleagues and your employer will have faith in you. And the more trustworthy you are, the more responsibility you will be trusted with over time, which may boost your career growth in the long run. It’s even more important to showcase your reliability in a virtual workplace environment through clear and frequent communication. 2. Accountability Accountability goes hand-in-hand with reliability. But beyond being reliable, accountability is all about taking responsibility for one’s work — even when that includes mistakes or failures.  There’s no room for the blame game or pointing fingers on teams that work well with one another, which means you have to hold yourself accountable and take fault when necessary. Your teammates will likely think more of you if you’re willing to admit you’re wrong, as opposed to constantly shifting blame or pointing fingers when issues arise. 3. Respectfulness A little bit of respect goes a long way, especially at work. According to Indeed, respectfulness in the workplace reduces stress, increases productivity and collaboration, improves employee satisfaction, and creates a fair environment. You need to respect your team members, manager, and clients to do your best work together.  Acts of respect include acknowledging others and calling them by name, encouraging and exchanging opinions and ideas without judgment, giving credit where it’s due, and listening to and understanding your teammates. 4. Collaboration There is no successful teamwork without collaboration. Collaboration is working together with one or more people on a project or toward a shared goal.  When employees can work together and collaborate successfully, they can share ideas and come up with practical solutions to complex problems. Brainstorming, open discussions, workshops, and knowledge sharing sessions are all examples of collaboration that lead to great teamwork.  5. Persuasion Have you ever worked with a teammate who insists on working their way, even if the rest of the team agrees to pursue another route? How do you keep making progress on your project or goal if one team member isn’t on the same page? That’s where your skills of persuasion come in handy.  Sometimes you might have to persuade a team member to see another point of view and change their mind to benefit the rest of the group. But persuasive skills are more than just getting someone to change their mind and see your perspective — it’s about doing so in an empathetic and respectful way in order to maintain a healthy working relationship. 6. Constructive feedback for improvement You should be able to offer your teammate constructive feedback to help them improve and vice versa. Exchanging feedback not only benefits individuals and the team as a whole but also adds value to your organization by creating an opportunity for constant growth.  Giving feedback requires offering suggestions for improvement in a positive way, while receiving feedback requires listening with an open mind and a willingness to change.  Work skills that work on any resume Sure, there are specialized skills for different roles and industries. Engineers add their programming skills to their resume, project managers add project management certifications and relevant skills, and HR professionals add the performance management and HRIS systems they’ve previously used. While there are specialized skills you’ll want to emphasize on your resume based on your industry and role (and trust us, those are important), there are also some work skills that are relevant on any resume. These include:  Creativity: Creativity is an essential component of innovation and complex problem-solving. In its most basic form, creativity requires thinking about a problem or task differently and using your imagination to form and test new ideas. Problem-solving: All employers value problem-solving abilities because they want to hire people who can break down problems and develop effective solutions. To showcase your problem-solving skills, you might possess a range of qualities such as analysis, evaluation, decision-making, and communication. Time management: No employer wants to hire someone who doesn’t make good use of their time and will have a hard time getting their work done. Your future employer wants to know that you’ll be able to meet deadlines, effectively use your workday to get tasks accomplished, and handle your workload without a lot of babysitting. Examples of specific time management responsibilities include goal setting, prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and minimizing or eliminating distractions for optimal focus. Leadership: Showcasing how you’ve demonstrated leadership in your previous roles can demonstrate to your future potential employer what type of employee you are. Being an effective leader can increase your advancement opportunities within your organization. Use specific examples of successful leadership on your resume for the most significant impact.  So how do you showcase these skills on your resume? Now that you know what work skills for resumes employers want to see, you’re bound to have this question: Where do you put them? Keep in mind that the goal of your resume is to prove that you’re a qualified, no-brainer fit for the role you’re applying for. That’s why your smartest move is to tailor your resume to a specific job. Take a fine-tooth comb to the job description and identify words or skills that are repeated or emphasized. Those are traits that you should be incorporating in your own resume (provided you honestly possess them, of course). The most important skills should go as close to the top of your document as possible, because remember, hiring managers are only skimming for a few seconds. As for where you can work these skills in, you have a number of options, including:  Your professional summary at the top of your document A dedicated key skills section where you can bullet out your most relevant abilities Your past positions, where you can demonstrate how you applied your skills in previous jobs Finally, remember that many of your work skills and social work skills — from communication and time management to problem-solving and active listening — will be on display throughout the hiring process and your interviews.  So, it should go without saying, but show up on time, respond to messages promptly and respectfully, and treat everybody respectfully. After all, when it comes to your work skills, employers want you to show — and not just tell.

You Won't Be Able to Put Down 'Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products' (Book Review)
Marketing 5 min read

You Won't Be Able to Put Down 'Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products' (Book Review)

Learn more about how Eyal's ideas became one of the most-read online marketing books. Keep reading for: a summary and book review of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, and key takeaways from the best-seller.

Are You a Purple Cow? Find Out Why it Matters (Book Review)
Marketing 5 min read

Are You a Purple Cow? Find Out Why it Matters (Book Review)

This is the secret to successful marketing strategies, according to best-selling author Seth Godin. Marketing works to generate interest and be remembered. Run-of-the-mill tactics simply won't cut it in this endeavor. Companies must be a purple cow, able to make folks do a double take and rise ahead of competitors.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: How to Drive People to Do Amazing Work
Collaboration 7 min read

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: How to Drive People to Do Amazing Work

It’s well known that happy, engaged employees are more likely to provide outstanding customer service, leading to happier clients. But what keeps your employees happy and engaged: Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? Read more to find out how to incentivize your employees to do amazing work.

How to Improve Leadership Skills as a Project Manager
Leadership 10 min read

How to Improve Leadership Skills as a Project Manager

Being an effective project manager isn’t only about coordinating the details. You also need to know how to manage and motivate the people on your project team. That requires some pretty effective leadership skills. These five tactics can show you how to improve your leadership skills.

11 Attitudes More Important to Success Than Raw Talent (Work Management Roundup)
Collaboration 5 min read

11 Attitudes More Important to Success Than Raw Talent (Work Management Roundup)

Our latest weekly roundup touches on 11 habits you need to succeed, all of which are more important than raw talent. Because personal success really does boil down to how you think. Plus many more articles on productivity and work.

5 Valuable Project Management Skills You Forgot About
Project Management 3 min read

5 Valuable Project Management Skills You Forgot About

Project managers have their work cut out for them — they must manage all the various project stakeholders and keep the project on track by successfully juggling and directing their roles and responsibilities. It's easy to get bogged down by office politics, looming deadlines, and last-minute project changes. As a project manager, focusing on professional development and cultivating important skill sets can be vital to work success. These five project management skills are frequently forgotten, but equally important for project managers if they want to do the best they can for their project and their team. Important Project Management Skills to Work On 1. Horizontal Management Skills Project managers are typically the link between the project team, the sponsors, and the people who will be affected by the outcome. These people are not always under a project manager's direct jurisdiction. That means you need horizontal management skills to get people who work laterally or above you in the company hierarchy to go along with the project plan. Learn the best way to work with these people in your company in order to make project communications run smoothly. 2. A Good Sense of Humor Your sense of humor is your armor when "what you wanted to happen" becomes "what actually happens". Things are definitely not always going to go exactly as planned, so when the project schedule starts to stray, rely on your sense of humor to keep you sane. If you don't, you're going to spend many long, stressful nights crying, biting your nails, and pacing the office floor. Learn to smile at unexpected project change, and you'll be better off for it. 3. Change Management Skills Project management is not just managing the project, it's also managing the people involved. Change management skills help you manage the emotional and psychological side of people during your project. If you know what makes people tick, then you can apply that knowledge to encourage and inspire better work habits in your colleagues. 4. Expectation Management Skills Try to dig deep into what your clients expect from a project before getting started. Ask project teams what roadblocks they have hit in similar, past projects. Take this feedback into account when finalizing the project plan. If you manage all your project stakeholders' expectations, and ensure they have realistic expectations for the project outcome from the get-go, then you are less likely to face disappointment in the final outcome. 5. Management Soft Skills You've read about the best soft skills and traits for managers before — and (no surprise) they still apply to project managers. Your job will be infinitely easier if you work on being: a good listener, trusting and trustworthy, an open communicator, willing to keep learning, good at delegating, etc. Management soft skills are not something you can perfect, they are something you continually work to improve. What project management skills do you think are most important? Whether you're a client facing project manager yourself, or someone who interacts with project managers regularly, you probably have your own opinion. What management skill do you think project managers can't succeed without? We asked our community of project managers about their #1 piece of advice for new project managers on LinkedIn. Check out what they had to say, and add your own ideas to the conversation by joining our PM 2.0 LinkedIn group.

The Post-COVID Work Habits You Should Make (and Break) as an Employee
Remote Working 7 min read

The Post-COVID Work Habits You Should Make (and Break) as an Employee

What work habits should you take with you on returning to work after COVID-19, and which should you break? Learn more about good work habits with Wrike.

4 Skills Managers Will Need to Learn in the Next Decade
Leadership 5 min read

4 Skills Managers Will Need to Learn in the Next Decade

The fundamentals of leadership haven't changed. You lead by example, you inspire team members to do their very best work, you communicate well and often. However, the circumstances surrounding our work are constantly changing. Remote/global workforces, offshore outsourcing, and an unrelenting tide of technology and tools have changed the way we work, and the skills needed to manage our teams. Case in point: In 1997, as managing editor to a monthly lifestyle magazine, I was coordinating contributors via three archaic tools: phone, fax, and (gasp) pager. At the time, appointments had to be made well in advance and submissions by fax had to be re-encoded manually. Meetings were always done face-to-face, and there was little visibility into what other people were doing. The skills I needed then are still mostly useful, but I've had to learn much more in order to function within a modern startup. There is no doubt that a decade from now, managers will need skills that our parents probably never even dreamed of. How do you prepare for that unseen future? Simple: you take emerging work trends and extend them forward a few years, predicting which ones have the strongest chance of sticking around. Then you figure out what skills you will need to navigate work within those trends. Here is my list of the four skills that managers will need to learn in the next decade: 1. Managers Will Need Cross-Cultural Intelligence TREND: Workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse. Companies of all sizes continue to expand to overseas locations, or engage in offshore outsourcing. SKILL NEEDED: Managers are being called not just to understand cultural differences, but also be able to switch to different behaviors as the situation dictates. Cultural intelligence (CQ), like emotional intelligence (EQ), is a relatively new method of understanding ourselves and, in turn, our teammates. Author Julia Middleton explains in her book Cultural Intelligence, that CQ can be broken down into two parts: our core (the behaviors we will not change for anyone) and our flex (those behaviors we can change when needed). Managers will need to learn to use their flex side in a concept called cultural code-switching, being able to blend with a culture as needed, and even engage in behaviors that may conflict with the culture they grew up with. For example: giving feedback directly as opposed to covering it with humor, or being a more present boss as opposed to letting the team self-organize. The manager's aim should be to focus on the result and think about altering your behavior as a means to meeting your team's end. 2. Managers Will Need Virtual Collaboration Skills TREND: As organizations source talent from across the globe, remote workforces increase. According to Wrike's Remote Work survey of 1,000 employees, 80% of respondents deal with remote workers on a daily basis, either working with distributed colleagues, or as remote workers themselves. SKILL NEEDED: Managers must be able to lead their teams and engage with individuals effectively — no matter where in the world they may be stationed. While face-to-face meetings may remain the norm for companies that exist in only one brick-and-mortar location, it's becoming increasingly common to hold meetings online or in shared virtual spaces. This means managers can no longer assume that attendees are all on the same page, and communication skills must be updated to ensure no misunderstandings happen. Plus, this entails learning the technology needed to communicate effectively. 3. Managers Must Adapt to New Technologies TREND: New inventions appear everyday, including technologies that make work easier or that fundamentally change the way we work. SKILL NEEDED: The speed with which new technologies appear requires managers who are flexible enough to learn new tools and incorporate them into daily use. For example: marketing is an industry where tools are created at the speed of need. While jumping on the bandwagon isn't a formula I'd suggest, it does pay to experiment with new tech. Find out what works. Test which ones make your time more productive. Assemble your toolbox of essential tools and keep it updated. 4. Managers Will Need to Handle Information Overload TREND: Information overload is a very real thing, especially in our modern workplace. There is a limit to the amount of stuff our minds can process, a.k.a. our cognitive load. SKILL NEEDED: Managers who want to succeed in the next decade must be able to manage this deluge of data and extract the useful bits from the noise. For example: they will have to distinguish emergencies amidst the massive influx of messages in their email inboxes. They will have to prioritize work that delivers the most value, even with a huge number of mixed signals from stakeholders. They will have to be strategic despite all the pings and notifications that will have them running to "put out fires." They will need to be masters at prioritizing, time management, and focus if they intend to be successful at work and at life. What Do You See in Your Crystal Ball? If you tie all four skills together, the unifying theme is constant learning and flexibility. If you're flexible enough to take what comes and willing to educate yourself on how best to adapt, then the future holds no insurmountable surprises for you. Do you agree or disagree with my list? Do you see a management skill that's missing? Hit the comments and share your views on what skills managers will need to be successful in the future. READ NEXT: Why Employers Value Emotional Intelligence Over IQ (Infographic) Top 3 Trends Shaping Project Collaboration Is Information Overload Real? Or Are We Just a Wimpy Generation? (Video) Photo credit: Darth Grader on Flickr