You’re already a Project Manager…
Want a career as a Project Manager but think you need a technical background? Well, allow me to blow that myth…
There’s a commonly held belief that you somehow need to be a technical guru to stand any chance of a career as a Project Manager. Well actually in my experience some of the most successful Project Managers are those with little in the way of a technical background. Yes I said it!
Instead, in my experience, what you need much more of is the ability to coordinate and manage people to make things happen. Most of us are pretty good at this when we put our minds to it, and basically that’s your most important qualification.
Another key skill for a successful Project Manager is the ability to communicate well. So what I mean here is the ability to explain things clearly and concisely. Sometimes this could also mean breaking complex things down into simple chunks to help everyone understand what is going on. Most of us actually do this everyday and we’re pretty good at it. Don’t think so – well think again. If you’ve got children, you’re always helping them interpret some of the complex things happening around them. Or if your have family or neighbours belonging to an older generation you will probably be helping them interpret the fast moving world we live in today.
Another skill that good Project Managers have is the ability to interpret and manage risk. Ok this sounds like something that we don’t do in everyday life. Wrong! We probably do this the most and we’re very good at it! Let’s take the process of deciding to buy a lottery ticket. What you’re actually doing is calculating the probability and impact of the risk happening in nanoseconds. You’re then making a judgment.
For example, by spending a pound on a lottery ticket you’ll subconsciously consider the probability of winning (extremely low) but then you’ll look at the impact of winning (extremely significant); in many peoples’ minds, the combination of these two factors makes buying a ticket worthwhile. People sometimes refer to this as the risk/reward ratio.
The secret of great Project Managers is really doing the things I’ve talked about really well. So be weary of all the project management jargon out there, most of us are more than half way to becoming great Project Managers without even realising it!