You want to develop your project management skills. What's the best way to start?

To enhance project management skills, start with foundational learning. Consider reputable online courses like those offered by Coursera or LinkedIn Learning. Dive into industry-standard methodologies like Agile, Scrum, or PRINCE2. Engage with project management communities on platforms like Reddit or LinkedIn to learn from others' experiences. Additionally, seek mentorship from seasoned project managers to gain practical insights. Practice by leading small projects or volunteering for project-related tasks within your organization. Remember, continuous learning and hands-on experience are key. As Albert Einstein said, "The only source of knowledge is experience." Start small, learn, adapt, and grow!

To elevate your project management skills, explore specialized certifications tailored to your industry or project types. Certifications like Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or industry-specific project management certifications provide targeted knowledge and frameworks. These certifications not only deepen your expertise but also demonstrate your commitment to mastering project management methodologies that align with contemporary industry standards.

Ask yourself a big career question: Are you comfortable managing both - process and people? As a project manager you need to be able to deliver on time and within budget by leading others through the process. You will have some direct influence over deadlines and deliverables of others, but most likely we are talking a lot of indirect influence over people you may not have direct line management line to. Foor many of them the project you are managing will be low on priority list due to other competing priorities. Negotiation skills, stakeholder management, and generally - so-called people skills will be critical success factors in addition to more tangible, process related competency.

Self-reflection: Take a moment to consider your strengths and weaknesses in areas like organization, planning, communication, problem-solving, and leadership. Have you managed projects before? What challenges did you face? External feedback: Seek honest feedback from colleagues, mentors, or past project collaborators. This can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement.

Complement your theoretical learning by participating in interactive workshops and seminars. Platforms like Project Management Institute (PMI) often organize events that provide opportunities to engage with seasoned project managers, share experiences, and discuss real-world challenges. These interactive sessions offer insights beyond traditional coursework, allowing you to grasp practical nuances and industry-specific applications of project management concepts.

Take the initiative to lead small-scale projects within your current role or personal life. Starting with manageable projects allows you to apply newly acquired skills incrementally, minimizing the risk of overwhelming complexity. These smaller initiatives provide a practical playground to experiment, iterate, and refine your project management techniques while building your confidence as a capable project manager.

Volunteer for projects: Look for opportunities to volunteer for small projects within your organization or community. This allows you to gain practical experience while contributing to a meaningful cause. Seek personal projects: Consider taking on personal projects that allow you to practice your skills. This could involve organizing an event, renovating your home, or even planning a vacation. Shadow experienced project managers: Observe and learn from experienced project managers in your organization. Ask questions, shadow their meetings, and gain insights into their decision-making processes.

This is a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, you need enough of the subject matter expertise to be able to evaluate what's needed for planning and monitoring the progress. On the other hand, you need to be comfortable with the fact that you are managing other experts who know far more about the job than you do and be comfortable with that knowledge and experience imbalance. Your own project management experience and strong relationship building skills should help you to address this challenge. Again - you have the responsibility to deliver on time and within budget, motivate the team, and seek additional resources from the project sponsor(s) or highlight the risks. But you also need humility to recognize your own limitations.

There are so many resources available online and via peer groups for anyone who is committed to learning and up-skilling. When asking for help from someone in my network, I try to be as specific and detailed as possible about what I need, so that the person I'm asking is easily able to action my request without investing too much extra time.

Mentorship: Find a mentor who is an experienced project manager. They can offer valuable guidance, share best practices, and provide feedback on your progress. Professional development courses: Enroll in online or in-person courses on project management basics or specific areas you wish to improve. Consider pursuing certifications like the Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) for a more comprehensive qualification. Networking: Connect with other project managers through professional organizations, online forums, or conferences. This allows you to share experiences, learn from others, and stay up-to-date with industry trends.

Continuously read: Devour books, articles, and blog posts on project management to stay informed about the latest best practices, trends, and tools. Reflect and adapt: Regularly evaluate your progress, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your approach accordingly. Seek feedback: Actively solicit feedback from colleagues, mentors, and stakeholders to gain insights into your strengths and weaknesses.

Based on my two decades of experience in Project Management, what I understood is, Project Management is very very unique skill. It needs very broad knowledge in order to execute Projects and successfully deliver the business value. For the people who needs to start developing their Project Management skills and knowledge I suggests below details and processes: 1. Find a mentor who has good experience in Project Management. 2. Find a suitable Project Management organizations like PMI. 3. Start reading the basic Project Management books from reputed organizations. 4. Try to find organizations to work only in Project. 5. Understand that Project Management is a very unique skill and it's not operations management or maintenance work.

Do not lose sight of the 'big picture'. How important is the success of your project for the organization? Are there any teams or individuals who will be competing with you directly for time and resources? Do you have access to the powerful project sponsor(s) and how critical the project is for them to succeed? Do you have all you need to make the project succeed? Do you have other allies and existing relationships within or outside of the organization to help?