Are You Too Humble as a Project Manager?
From the Voices on Project Management Blog
by Cameron McGaughy,
Lynda Bourne, Kevin Korterud, Conrado Morlan, Peter Tarhanidis, Mario Trentim, Jen Skrabak, David Wakeman, Wanda Curlee, Christian Bisson, Yasmina Khelifi, Sree Rao, Soma Bhattacharya, Emily Luijbregts, Lenka Pincot, cyndee miller, Jorge Martin Valdes Garciatorres, Marat Oyvetsky, Ramiro Rodrigues
Voices on Project Management offers insights, tips, advice and personal stories from project managers in different regions and industries. The goal is to get you thinking, and spark a discussion. So, if you read something that you agree with--or even disagree with--leave a comment.
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By Yasmina Khelifi, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA, PMP
Humility is defined as “the absence of any feelings of being better than others.” In some cultures or countries, the trait is admired. And yet in project management, it is crucial to talk about yourself and your achievements. How can humble PMs do this while still being authentic to themselves?
Humility as a PM can translate in different ways: silence, waiting for others to ask you questions, or answering in monosyllables. This sometimes has the consequence of diminishing your value.
The risks of excessive humility as a project manager
“If you are constantly apologizing with ‘Well, I am not the expert,’ people will believe you and wonder why you wasted their time.” — Keith Ferrazzi & Tahl Raz, Never Eat Alone
When I began to work as a PM, I didn’t speak about my achievements. It was not only that I was shy—it was about feeling awkward talking about my achievements. I didn’t have a user manual on how to feel comfortable highlighting my skills and strengths.
I was convinced I didn’t accomplish anything special in my work. When I had job interviews, I entered the room insecure—and my common answer was, “That achievement was no big deal. It was just a small thing.”
What holds you back from talking about yourself and your achievements as a project manager?
Like me, you might believe two myths:
- Myth #1: Your achievements will speak for themselves. This might be true, but to what extent? In your team only, or beyond the team?
- Myth #2: Your manager knows about your strengths and achievements. This is only partly true. As a practitioner, you use many skills in different situations. You also hone other skills in your extra work activities that your manager won’t be aware of.
I often held back talking among colleagues at work. But talking or explaining things within a larger community was not a fear of mine; it’s sometimes easier to talk to a stranger or an anonymous crowd. I’ve begun to share more of myself on LinkedIn (surprisingly, colleagues have contacted me because they read my posts there!).
How to talk about yourself and your projects
The key is to find the right balance—and the proper angle that fits with your personality. Here are a few tips to follow:
- Tip #1: Read the room and find the right time—and be brief. Observe the response and interest level.
- Tip #2: Share some content related to the topic at hand; don’t make it just about you. Tie it into the bigger picture that relates to the team’s work.
- Tip #3: Share some lessons learned, including challenges and failures you faced.
- Tip #4: Rely on facts.
- How many years of experience do you have?
- What is the budget of the project you managed?
- What is your biggest achievement? Why?
- How many stakeholders did you engage with?
- What was the impact of your project?
- Tip #5: Talk with concrete examples about your skills, strengths and passions.
- When did these develop?
- How did you do it?
- What challenges did you face?
- What were the outcomes?
Share in small doses as to not damage the final recipe: you as a project manager. It takes courage and practice, but your experiences can help others. Silence will not.
How did you overcome your humility to talk about yourself and your projects?
Posted
by
Yasmina Khelifi
on: October 31, 2022 04:30 AM |
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Josè Luis Villabrille
Project Manager| ENEL-Engineering and Construction
Palma De Mallorca, Spain- Baleares, Spain
Sunil Kumar
Senior Manager Operations| Flatworld Solutions
Chennai, Tn, India
Thanks for sharing good insights.
Thank you for sharing, great information.
Katherine Jerde
Vendor Management Project Manager| Comcast Business
Co, United States
"Tie it into the bigger picture that relates to the team’s work."
Excellent insight, Yasmina! Thank you!
Hi José Luis, Gabriel, Katherine and Sunil, thank you for your feedback. take care Yasmina
Can’t wait to get my foot in the project management side of the door , I feel I have this confidence already ☺️
Latha Thamma reddi
Sr Product and Portfolio Management (Automation Innovation)| DXC Technology
Mckinney, Tx, United States
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