Essential Skills to Kickstart Your Project Management Career
If you’re just starting out in project management you might feel like there’s an endless list of things to learn with no clear place to begin. Trust me, you’re not alone! We all felt that way at one time or another.
Over the years, I’ve guided all kinds of new project managers to help them build the skills they need to take charge of their projects. And here’s one thing I always tell them: every project is different, but the fundamentals? They never change.
Let’s break down some of those project management fundamentals so you can start diving into every project with clarity and confidence.
Fundamental 1: Making good use of project documents
Project documents are key, but you also need to leave time for removing roadblocks, supporting team members, and making sure processes are being followed.
Strike a balance by ensuring documents are organized, consistent, and streamlined, and then use them to your advantage, so they’re helping you, not controlling you. That means:
- Using templates rather than recreating key documents for each project.
- Leveraging documents for status updates instead of chasing your team.
- Getting sign-off on key documents so you can refer to them in times of disagreement or confusion.
Fundamental 2: Get support
You might think you have to do it all alone as a PM, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Success comes from knowing when you need support. Here are some examples of who you should turn to and when:
- Rely on senior executives for strategic background information to help you better understand project goals.
- Ask for guidance from subject matter experts to understand complex deliverables and processes.
- Find a mentor who can help you navigate challenges with people and politics – because you will run into both.
More fundamentals for new PMs
There are a few more project management fundamentals that I want to explain more deeply so I put together a video that dives into them in detail. It covers the importance of understanding:
- Project terms and definitions that help you get the lay of the land.
- Project steps and phases – what you should be doing and when.
- Basic planning fundamentals – get clear on these because you’ll spend a lot of time here!
This might all seem really complicated when you’re first starting out, but once you have a solid understanding of these key concepts, you’ll be well on your way to project success. Follow me over to YouTube and we’ll keep chatting about this!
Cheers,
Adriana Girdler, PMP | Creator of Slay Project Management™
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