Project Management

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What have you had to unlearn or relearn to be successful as a project manager?

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Aaron Porter
Community Champion
IT Director| Blade HQ Payson, UT, United States

A few years ago, I left a corporate job where I had helped to set up a PMO, establish processes, create a lot of documentation, and get buy-in for the changes for a smaller company in need of their first formal project manager. It's been a great experience, but I had to unlearn the formal, structured processes I had been following for over a decade to be able to help deliver the value they were looking for. Lately, I've been recognizing the need to relearn some of that structure to continue to be successful in adding value.

As I was reflecting on this experience, I realized that this is not unique to me or to project managers. We also work with developers that get moved into management and IT Managers that get moved into higher level leadership positions that struggle to adapt to their new reality - to unlearn the things that made them successful in their last position and learn or relearn skills needed for their new position.

What have you had to unlearn or relearn to be successful as a project manager?
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Kiron Bondale Retired | Mentor| Retired Welland, Ontario, Canada
Aaron -

Organizational awareness is something which I've had to unlearn (old) and relearn (new) when working as a contract PM advisor or even when switching departments within the same company. The local "lingo", tacit knowledge such as who to contact for what, and even what the perception of the role of a PM is can vary widely so that past knowledge can become like the albatross around the neck of the Ancient Mariner.

Kiron
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Luis Branco CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal

Great question, Aaron, and a reflection many of us can relate to.

In my case, the biggest shift was unlearning the instinct to control everything.

And what I had to relearn were three fundamentals of real leadership:inspiring, delegating, and trusting.

  • Inspiring gave clarity of purpose.
  • Delegating created space for people to grow.
  • Trusting turned coordination into true collaboration.

Your post resonates because these transitions, unlearning and relearning, are not exceptions in our profession.

They are the leadership rhythm that keeps us relevant as contexts, teams, and expectations evolve
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Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa
Community Champion
Program Manager| HARPER SRL Santo Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
One thing I had to unlearn was assuming that structure always equals value. In some environments, the real skill is knowing when to simplify, adapt, or let go of formality so the team can move faster.
At the same time, I’ve had to relearn that too little structure creates chaos, so the balance keeps shifting as the organization evolves.
The biggest mindset shift was letting go of the idea that one approach “wins.” Success often comes from unlearning old habits just long enough to build something that fits the context.
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Aung Sint
Community Champion
Lead Consultant| Laminar Projects
For me, I had to unlearn the mindset of being a contractor and relearn the subtleties of being a consultant as I switch between countries, even though it's still the same industry.

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