Blockchain technology has indeed found its way into the world. This technology has emerged in all domains; in fact, blockchain is beyond the cryptocurrency sector now.
We have experienced blockchain project managers taking enormous burdens to carry out tasks related to making projects proper and managing them with the intricacies of blockchain. Several studies endorse project management in blockchain on business agendas. Blockchain project management jobs have observed a nearly 517% rise since 2018, pointing out that the aforementioned talent has been highly in demand by organizations.
This article presents important blockchain skill sets project managers need for successful projects.
Most Important Skill Sets for Blockchain Project Managers
Project Management Skills
Even with the evolving technologies, the same traditional methods are applicable for project management within the context of blockchain, from planning and scheduling to budgeting. Of course, they also form a part of the integral success of any blockchain project.
For example, Agile and Scrum are two significant methodologies in blockchain development. The characteristic of Agile is incremental and adaptive development to allow the planning teams to fully accommodate every change during the entire process of the blockchain product and continuously improve itself. Scrum, similarly, features the iterative nature of product development for blockchain projects, a sprint life cycle for blockchain projects, and standup meetings held daily.
In addition to this, one may also expect that a project manager would implement risk mitigation schemes during project planning, owing solely to the inherent uncertainty related to blockchain projects, such as regulatory volatility, security risk, and lack of technological certainty.
Technical Competence
One need not be a coder to be a blockchain project manager; however, one should have a decent knowledge of the technical things involved, such as smart contracts – agreements executed by computers; a project manager must be aware of the possible cases of smart contracts, decentralized applications (dApps) which requires good learning of how applications themselves find their way in a decentralized environment, or security – a blockchain project manager should also know the applications of cryptography in protecting blockchain systems from vulnerabilities like those found in cyber attacks.
Communication and Leadership
Communication will form the most significant support all managers lean on throughout all their blockchain projects to collaborate, achieve goals, and organize their tasks.
Communications must be clear, completely unclouded, and transparent at the various phases in a project’s life cycle, that is, planning, implementation, and finally, the end stages, to mitigate risks to the highest extent and ensure that projects are completed within their timelines.
Added to communication, there is also managing blockchain projects through the appropriate leadership, even in terms of face-to-face discussion, whether written, verbal, or nonverbal communication methods. This ability allows managers to help people with ideas, solutions to problems, and consensus among people.
Adaptability and Continuous Learning
Technology is no stranger to continuous change; it is, hence, much more than just a requirement for blockchain project managers. Blockchain technology involves staying up to date with current blockchain news. This is because 40% of adopters of blockchain technology found that the biggest hurdle to overcome was adjusting to rapid changes. Perhaps even more important to a blockchain project manager are the industry events because 83% of top blockchain leaders confirmed that cooperation is the biggest motivating factor for a successful blockchain project. Hence, it is clearer to understand the importance of being up-to-date to maintain one’s adaptability and willingness to learn about blockchain.
Conclusion
The points covered above lead to blockchain skills such as strong knowledge, project management, technical skills, flexibility, and communication, which are major skills a blockchain recruitment company looks for in blockchain project managers, apart from the general ones regarding blockchain development. However, it is essential to note that a great blockchain project manager is not just a leader but a bridge between technology and business success. These characteristics can prepare a manager to lead in a successful and future-oriented way regarding project and team management with ready flexibility to change in a digital world.