The secret to effective stakeholder management? Identify the key players, understand their potential impact—and then adapt your communication style to them, says Chathurika Prabodani Gunathilaka, PMP, project manager at Camms in Colombo, Sri Lanka. That takes practice. And Gunathilaka has been upskilling through volunteering. “I’ve become more responsible for my own tasks since there’s no one to monitor my progress when I volunteer,” she says. “I also need to meet the quality expectations of the community. That, in turn, improves my leadership skills, communication skills, stakeholder management skills, negotiation skills and team-building skills on a deeper level.” Gunathilaka also taps into what she says is the best project management advice she’s ever received: “Instead of trying to control everything all the time, focus on delegating the right tasks to the right team members. The team will get the maximum output from a collective effort.” Get more tips from Gunathilaka—and find...