Competences of the project manager

Purpose: The main objective of the research presented in this paper was to identify the managerial competences of project team managers. In order to achieve this objective, the first part of the paper explains the meaning of the term "project management" in the literature on management and quality. The second part of the paper is devoted to an analysis of the conducted research, on the basis of which an attempt is made to answer the question: which managerial competences are key in the role of a project manager? Design/methodology/approach: The research presented in this paper is based on the analysis of the literature on project management and managerial competences. The studies in literature also included secondary sources, which were communications from research of similar scope. The combination of different research methods allowed to obtain a broader context of the studied phenomenon and ensured a higher quality of the conducted research. The diversity of methods was aimed at achieving a consistency of the empirical basis for the inference. A diagnostic survey was adopted as the leading method. The remaining methods applied in the paper were auxiliary (complementary). Findings: An inseparable element of human life is change, which also accompanies enterprises on a daily basis. The information about changes in the market and competitors, provided every day, is a natural manifestation of economic life. Consequently, everyone has to improve their operations in the area of products, technology and organisation in order to remain on the market. As a result, every person, as well as every economic activity take actions aimed at achieving the intended goals, facing new needs and challenges. The way to achieve the desired results is a process known as a project. The efficient functioning of a project team requires the use of appropriate management support methods and tools, systematic measurement, constant comparison with competitors, removal of barriers and the exploitation of development opportunities. Research limitations/implications: In the future, research will be continued on a larger research sample. Practical implications: The paper presents the results of research carried out at a nationwide telecommunications operator that employs several thousand people. This company is part of a large capital group and, due to the group's communication policy, has reserved anonymity. The findings are very interesting and encourage research on a larger scale. They are a valuable source of information for managers responsible for the formation of project teams, the selection of its members, their functioning and project implementation. On the other hand, for persons. responsible for recruiting employees, the results may be useful in terms of developing a project team manager's profile, in particular when identifying the key managerial competences. Originality/value Based on empirical research, the paper proposes an original set of systemic solutions for project management to improve organisational performance.