Working on multiple development projects with different project managers, I’ve come to take note of the various skills an effective PM needs to drive a project. One important skill I’ve come to realize ever PM needs is understanding the duties and functions of every department involved, and potentially will be involved, in the project- because in order for a PM to execute the steps required to drive the project forward, he or she must be able to quickly determine who should take on certain tasks. Besides properly delegating tasks, another skill that goes hand-in-hand is determining timeframes for tasks and taking the necessary steps to pivot if certain tasks will delay a project. The earlier a PM can determine if the project will be delayed, the easier it will be to make compressions to reach the deadline. This, of course, requires the PM to have a strong understanding of the processes and workflows of different departments.