Let’s finish this up. . . . .
7. You’re the “Quiet One”
If you can’t step up in front of a large group and speak about your project’s finances, schedules and goals, you won’t make a good PM. Eloquence may not be essential, but you’ve got to be good on your feet. Regardless of deft negotiating and public speaking skills, a PM should have the confidence and expertise to weather any crowd. Join Toastmasters to learn some of these skills.
8. You’re Not a Leader
Without the intangible ability to lead – the mortar that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts – an aspiring PM will fall short of the mark. On a strategic level, PM’s excel in the areas you might expect, skillful negotiator, competent communicator, talent assessor, leader, team builder, and planner. I look for PM candidates who are results-driven, not process-driven. PM’s who are too inflexible about their procedures and reporting structures often allow those processes to turn into an end in themselves. That inflexibility not only stunts the project, but also shuts the door on the manager’s ability to rise to the next level. Successful PM’s see beyond the processes to prevent tomorrow’s problems.
9. You Don’t Know When to Stop
You can’t be afraid to stop a project if the original reasons for the project are no longer sound. What if you lose your sponsor or other important stakeholders? What if the ROI no longer merits this work? It is far better to terminate a project early than to push through to the end with a product that satisfies no one and has exceeded budgets dearly. If it is not going to work, stop it.
10. You’ve Stopped Learning
Although you may have a great deal of “book-learning,” project managers are forced to learn the hard way what causes project failure. Project managers need to be able to admit their errors, correct them, and avoid repeating them. Your education does not stop with your degree or certification – it’s only the beginning.
Achieving project success is more than simply enacting a methodology standard or carrying out a set of template-driven exercises. Success is achieved through the intelligent application of sound principles guided by experience. If this sounds like common sense, it is.
Knowing the rules won’t guarantee that you’ll rise to the top, but at least you won’t set up roadblocks for yourself along the way. Corporate politics is a game, first and foremost. Failure to play by the rules will almost always result in your being sidelined, no matter how good you are at your work. Prospective PM’s who don’t see it that way may simply not be ready.
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