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Compare and Contrast the Skills Needed for General and Project Management

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Compare and Contrast the Skills Needed for General and Project Management
It has been said that project management is different, but akin, to more general (i.e. on-going management)
Compare and contrast the skills needed for general and project management

The economic development, competition and the need for planning and coordination of large and complex projects have forced innovation in management theories and techniques. This need has created a space for a new position in the organogram of traditional organizations. This new post is for managing unique tasks of projects which are not similar to business-as-usual. A project defined as “a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result” (PMBOK Guide, 2008, p.5). This means that the project must be completed within limited period of time to produce a unique result. Thus the project management can be defined as “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet project requirements” (PMBOK Guide, 2008, p.6). Thus project management is an unusual management technique created to manage projects. There is a great deal of confusion about the similarities and differences between general management and project management. While there is a clear overlap in the needed skills between general management and project management. Also, there are some distinctive skills that require attention to manage the unique nature of projects. Therefore this essay will argue the fact that project management differs from general management and there are some management skills that project managers must apply in special ways that distinguish project management from general management such as risk management, leadership and team management, conflict management and negotiation.

A general review of general management and project management literature suggests that there is a clear overlap between the skills required for both of them. For instance, Nokes & Kelly (2007, p. 16), categorized a number of skills that are required for

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