I have been a PM for almost 4 years now. I typically manage smaller to medium size projects and have also recently been involved in release management. I believe that I have not been given bigger projects because my style tends to be more reserved and not quite as polished as others. I've taken classes in communication and presentation, and there has been some improvement. However, I still feel that I'm somewhat weak in this area, even though I essentially 'get the job done'. What are prospects like for someone with my style, minimal technical skills (I was previously in the legal field, though I took some db/visual basic classes and have an undergrad in physics) and limited exposure to bigger projects? One more thing, I have not yet been involved in managing budgets or vendors. In my company, this is typically done by tech leads and business managers. Please be as blunt as possible. Sorry for the long post. thanks in advance to anyone for any advice they might have. Saving Changes...
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Anonymous
This advice is based on my own learning/transformation. My advice would be ultimately be brave and do your best to communicate directly and with integrity without being overly bold and overly aggressive. You are in a good position to move forward and you are in control of how you communicate. You can learn new patterns to find where perhaps passive or indirect communication does not serve you or the project as well as direct, straightforward communication. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I really appreciate your advice and encouragement and plan to give it some real thought. regards, Saving Changes...
Anonymous
There are many different success factors for the PM. Essential, however, is the understanding that you must speak and make decisions based on the signed project plan. If a stakeholder has committed himself to a plan and signed it then it is your responsibility to speak to it. What I mean by that is you will get into difficulties with the stakeholder. Do not speak to him or her but bring the person into a private space, bring up the plan/contract and see what it says about the issue. Forget fear, forget this person's position. Simply speak to the plan and see what it says in return. You are sounding very unsure of yourself in your note here. Take your eyes off of yourself, understand contractual obligations and move forward. It is not your responsibility to be concerned about what others think about you, it is your responsibility to move forward with the plan. This is not to say that you do not need political and social skills and contextual expertise, you definitely do. Your perceived insecurity will be alleviated if you know what you are doing and if you simply abide by the agreed upon plan. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
thank you for your response. also very helpful and good for consideration. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Anonymous, the replies to your post are excellent. Have you considered having a PM mentor? While classes and presentations offer value as well, having a mentor bounce ideas off of, gather advice from, and role play with can be aid in developing PM skills and perspectives. Also, you might consider reading a good book on assertiveness and then practicing with your mentor. For many people, assertiveness is an acquired skill, not a natural one. Being assertive in a "quiet-professional" manner might be just that polish to help you get to the next level as a project manager. Best regards! -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Mark,
Your advice is much appreciated and timely. We recently took some action following an employee satisfaction survey. One of the items we agreed on was that there should be more mentoring and knowledge sharing between the junior and senior members of the PMO. Can't say what'll happen next, but I am optimistic. I'll also check on the assertiveness material. I like the idea of being assertive without being loud. That might be something that I could pull off with enough practice and feedback.
Best Regards, Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Great..! As a post note, when I joined IBM 25+ years ago, on my first day of work I was given a performance plan, a development plan, and assigned to a senior, silver-headed, floor lead who was to be my mentor. The experience was so positive that to this day I continually seek out and enjoy the opportunity to be mentored by others that have more knowledge, wisdom, and experience than I. To no discredit of any manager, sometimes there are things you can learn from and do with a mentor, that you can't quite do or get from your manager. And nothing makes a mentor happier than seeing the results of the relationship! Best regards. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Many thanks again, Mark!
regards Saving Changes...
