The Path to PM Mastery

Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.

  Career Development   Communications Management   Knowledge Management   Lessons Learned   Talent Management  

Have you ever worked with a project manager who made achieving amazing results seem effortless? If you have then most likely you observed someone who has achieved project management mastery.

So what sets PM Masters apart from the rest of us? Is it their learning, innate talents and aptitudes or is it more? In observing those who exhibit PM mastery I have found they share some common traits and capabilities. While they don't necessarily make a master, they do provide some interesting insights. For example, PM Masters consistently demonstrate their ability to:

• Focus on the business objectives
• Build simple and practical project plans
• Provide hands-on attention and involvement
• Effectively communicate with team and stakeholders
• Exhibit political adeptness
• Cope with changing priorities
• Promote team flexibility & agility
• Exhibit confidence without arrogance
• Foster a “going forward” attitude
• Create simple, brief and focused status reports

Basically, they make the complex appear straightforward and easy to overcome. But beyond this, PM Masters have internalized the entire project management process to a level that rivals instinct. For example, they have developed a very clear and deep-rooted understanding of the following in a way that is consistently illustrated by their actions:

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