For several years, I've noticed that many of the individuals who attend my project management seminars are passionate about the work being done in their projects, but not about managing the project itself. They have often fallen into the career progression trap--they've become PMs in order to make more money, but they don't really love managing.
I know you can just force yourself to do a good job and therefore be seen as effective, but I don't believe you can be maximally effective unless you have a passion for what you are doing.
I still believe that there is more truth than falsehood in the saying, "Do what you love and the money will follow." And my conviction is that, if the money does not follow, then you should ask how you can continue doing what you love, but in a way that does bring remuneration.
As a good friend of mine likes to say, the company you work for may own your job, but you own your career, and you must take charge of it, or you will wind up just settling for whatever comes your way.
Our biggest enemy is inertia, which often comes from the fact that life is mostly good--we are comfortable in our work life, our personal life, our social circles, and our extended families. A British friend of mine is fond of saying, "I can't be bothered (to do something that may actually make his life better)." So, too, are a lot of folks.
As a student of human behavior, I've observed that people aren't motivated to make changes unless they experience a level of discomfort that takes them over a certain threshold. Then they move.
About 10 years ago I realized that there are almost unlimited things in this world that are just waiting for each of us to experience. I'm fortunate to have discovered a lot of them by visiting 35 countries and making two trips around the world, meeting thousands of people in other countries and from other cultures, and seeing wonderful sights. Yet there is still much that I could do, and I find myself wishing I had the means to do more. (I'm working on it!)
May I suggest that you don't waste your life doing something that you have just settled for. Take charge. Find your passion and go for it! Nobody else can do it for you.
It's the first step to being an effective person.
Warm regards,
Dr. Jim Lewis
It goes without saying that you can't be an effective project manager without being personally effective, yet there are individuals who seem to think the two facets are separate. Furthermore, there aren't any "tricks" that you can use to be more effective. No shortcuts. No gimmicks.
In effect, it's about building character, and developing habits that make you more effective. Some of this is pretty easy, and some is hard.
Stephen Covey hit a nerve when he wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The book was on the bestseller list for several years, and has sold over 10 million copies. In the book, he said that Benjamin Franklin would work with a principle each month and after a year, he would begin his list again. It takes time to master some habits, but in the end, it is worthwhile.
Fortunately we know more today about habit formation than was know in Ben Franklin's time. Two excellent books have been published that shed significant light on the subject. They are:
- Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean
- The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
Over the past 32 years, I have taught project management principles to over 40,000 individuals around the world. Of course, the principles of project management can be practiced without a person actually being very effective at the job, in part because you need more than the tools of project management to be effective. After all, at least 80 percent of the job is about dealing with human beings, and so-called people skills are much more difficult to learn than scheduling and earned-value analysis. In fact, what many project managers don't understand is that, without knowing how to deal effectively with people, the tools of project management will simply help them document their failures with great precision!
In subsequent blogposts, I'll be presenting methods for developing your skills so that you can be more effective as a project manager. Doing so can have significant effects on your career path. Being a really good project manager is good preparation for moving up to a C-level position in an organization. Not only are the methods of project management useful for any position, but you will deal with all kinds of stakeholders as a project manager, and that experience is invaluable to the senior executive.
You will also find valuable insights into being more effective in my published books. Go to my author's page on Amazon for more information.
I would like for this blog to be as useful as possible, so it will be very helpful to hear from you. You can interact with me at my membership website, www.howcanibesuccessful.net. Thanks for your interest in my blog.
Warm regards,
Dr. Jim Lewis
