Hybrid Knowledge: Expansion and Contraction
Mike Griffiths is an experienced project manager, author and consultant who works for PMI as a subject matter expert. Before joining PMI, Mike consulted and managed innovation and technology projects throughout Europe, North and South America for 30+ years. He was co-lead for the PMBOK Guide—Seventh Edition, lead for the Agile Practice Guide, and contributor to the PMI-ACP and PMP exam content outlines. Outside of PMI, Mike maintains the websites www.LeadingAnswers.com about leading teams and www.PMillustrated.com, which teaches project management for visual learners.
Project management requires the combination of technical skills, people skills and industry-specific knowledge. It is a true hybrid environment. This knowledge and its application also forms a beautiful paradox. Our quest to gain skills is never complete and always expanding, but the most effective tools are usually the simplest. Smart people do very simple things to achieve desired outcomes. Yet, they probably considered 50 alternatives before choosing the most effective, simple approach. You must know a lot to be confident your choice is apt.
Knowledge and experience in project management follows the same pattern. Learning about project management—how to work effectively with people, and our industry domain—is never complete. We then use this knowledge to choose the best action, which for ease of understanding and implementation is usually a simple course of action. I call it “expansion and contraction,” but there is probably a simpler name I will learn about one day.
Learning as a Project Manager
One of the things I love about project management is the opportunity to expand our knowledge. There is so much to learn that is useful and applicable to projects. We also live in an age where there are more avenues for learning than ever before. Like a hungry kid in a candy store, the options seem endless and enticing.
But what should we learn next …
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