I am a believer in the power of project management.
As a professional project manager for twenty years, I have witnessed project success drive business results. I have also proven that project management can change lives and help achieve personal transformation. Now I am sharing some practical tips and techniques that you can use to help achieve your own personal goals, live your best life and become a PM Believer.
Surprisingly simple path to victory: do a little homework
Imagine that you are a project manager who specializes in event planning. You are an expert at contracting venues, engaging presenters, selecting a/v equipment, building agendas and making it all come together in the end.
This is definitely an exercise in project management at its finest, and you are a master.
One morning your boss comes to you and says, “you’re a project manager, right? I want you to lead the selection and implementation of our new finance software package.”
This request sends chills down your spine, right? You don’t know anything about implementing financial software. You are not a subject matter expert.
Project managers and subject matter experts are different; they have different roles in projects.
A core premise of project management is that project managers need not have deep expertise in the subject area of their project. A project is a project, and a project manager can manage any project with the same skills and processes.
Sounds good, right? But it only sounds good in theory.
Any successful project manager will tell you that this is simply not reality. It is much harder to deliver any project where you don’t have any subject matter expertise.
So what’s a project manager to do? Easy… do your homework!
When you start any project in a professional or a personal setting, the first (and ongoing) step towards success involves learning. Make an effort to learn everything you can about the subject matter to be the most effective project manager you can be.
Instead of panicking when your boss asks you to lead the selection of the new finance software, do your homework instead. Start by learning the project’s goals and researching the leading software tools that meet that need. You may even be able to find sample project plans you can use to get started.
This same starting point can apply to your personal projects too.
If your personal goal is to lose weight, start by learning the basics of weight loss, exercise and nutrition.
If your goal is to get rich, get to Googling the basics of investing, debt payoff strategies and ways to reduce your expenses.
Knowledge is power, and project managers need that power. Regardless of your goal, there is a ton of information that is freely available to you to build expertise. It is just sitting there and waiting for you to do your homework.
Are you ready to be a PM Believer?
A key myth about project management is that a project manager does not need to have subject matter knowledge. People often believe that any project manager can lead any project regardless of subject matter knowledge. It’s just not true! This expectation can set you up for failure before you even get started. But you can use a secret weapon to help you succeed.
Need some help building your learning plan to get started with your goal? Let’s talk!
Click Here to learn more about my Operation Melt coaching services.
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