The Shapeshifter Model for Soft Skills for Project Managers: A Dynamic and Context-Sensitive Approach to Assessing Adherence and Maturity Levels in Addressing “Grand Challenges”

Unlike hard skills, which are quantifiable, delineating the optimal soft\r\nskills profile for a project manager (PM) presents a multifaceted challenge due\r\nto their multifarious nature. Cultural, social, and political-institutional contexts,\r\nalong with the dynamic nature of projects, play a critical role in influencing situa-\r\ntions that activate and shape the manifestation of soft skills. These factors interact\r\nwith individual differences and interpersonal interactions, thereby affecting how\r\nsoft skills are expressed and perceived in various project environments. Further-\r\nmore, the diversity among stakeholders, including their differing expectations,\r\ncommunication styles, needs, and behaviors, can significantly impact how soft\r\nskills manifest. In response to the growing complexity of grand challenges—\r\nglobal, multifaceted problems that require interdisciplinary collaboration—an\r\noff-beat approach based on multidimensional skills integration (MSI), contex-\r\ntual embeddedness (CE), project-specific adaptability (PSA), situational respon-\r\nsiveness (SR), and stakeholders’ diversity (SD) is developed. This framework\r\nhighlights how multilayer and dynamic feedback loops (MDFL) can generate the\r\nactivation of various soft skills with distinct nuances and shape. By incorporat-\r\ning all these variables, the “shapeshifter model” offers a dynamic and accurate\r\nassessment of soft skills, tailored to the different situations that manifest in each\r\nproject. Moreover, to address the complex nature of soft skills development and its\r\ncontextual manifestations, this study introduces a novel maturity model that pro-\r\nvides a more precise and context-sensitive understanding of soft skills proficiency,\r\ncatering to the evolving demands of modern project environments, especially in\r\nthe context of grand challenges.