This article is part of the #pmFlashBlog.
Project management. It’s the core of my life, sometimes without even realizing. It was how I planned my studies. It was how I planned and executed my wedding. It was how I got through my move abroad for work. It was how I moved house with my 6-month-old baby. It’s my job.
It means a lot.
It’s the ability to get things done in a pleasant manner.
It’s the ability to break down complex tasks into manageable parts. It’s knowing how to get along other people, even if they aren’t familiar with your goals.
It’s how you deal when problems arise – because they do. And how to make others realize that it’s not the end.
It’s the ability quickly to think and quickly apologize. It’s about prioritizing company goals and the interests of others above your professional ambitions. This works best when these two things are in harmony.
I didn’t know project management was a job until I spent three years in the Business Engineering department of American Express as part of a graduate trainee program. It was there that I met amazing people who helped me deliver improvements to my projects and create new ones every day.
Realizing that I could be paid for what I was good at, it inspired me to make it my profession.
Project management can be a way of life. If you’re like me in your personal life, you’ll be chaotic and overwhelmed at work. You will be calm and organized at work if you have lots of lists. Both of these people could make great project managers. However, I believe the latter is more capable.
But, I am biased because there are little lists all over my home.
Your work management style can be a good indicator about how you manage your personal and professional life. Gantt charts will soon be on the fridge with important milestones noted on a family calendar.
You need to plan backwards in order to ensure everyone gets their Christmas cards on the due date. Even if it’s July, you start Christmas shopping. Then you store it neatly and write a note about what you bought as well as how much.
I view managing a project as running a house. I have the same skills as people in project management. I expect to show my son how I plan so he can complete his homework on time. This is because project management isn’t taught enough in schools.
I can answer the question by saying that project management is a life skill. It doesn’t matter how well you manage time and budget to make your life successful. However, I don’t know how to do this any other way so I don’t have any comparisons. I have managed projects my whole life and plan to continue doing so.
P.S. This post is part the first ever global project management-related blog initiative to publish a post about the same topic simultaneously. Over 70 bloggers have contributed from Australia and other countries (Colombia Canada France Italy. Mexico, Spain Portugal, South Africa, and the USA have all committed to contributing to the blogging community. You can now access the results of their labor online. The complete list of blogs that participated can be found here.
