PMcrunch

After someone has been managing projects for some time and has achieved certification, he or she will feel more than comfortable with the basics. The big question is how can more experienced project management professionals continue to advance in skill and maturity by leveraging training. Let’s explore.

One Step At A Time

We, as individuals, need to employ the principle of continuous improvement. Just as so many practice self-improvement in our personal lives, with assistance of self-improvement books, motivational materials, attending motivational seminars, so it is with the entire realm of project management skills. Advanced project management skills simply are taking everything we know, and then some, to the next level.

Continuous Improvement

Let’s look at an example of how we can improve our ability to run meetings. We all know that the best way to do this is to practice, but, then again, it must be good practice. While practice makes perfect, it is really perfect practice that makes perfect. If we find ourselves in meetings on a regular basis, the best way to prove those skills and become an "advanced project manager" is to try to apply, adopt, and internalize one or two new ideas for continuous improvement on a daily basis. For example, in meetings, setting a time limit for the meeting is a good technique. If you have not been doing that, simply try to adopt this one single technique, master it, and integrate it into your common best practices. You might want to tackle the idea of improving facilitation skills to enable everyone to contribute in an optimal way in solving problems in meetings.

Advanced project management training can help greatly in this process of personal and professional continuous improvement. First, it can make us aware of many various aspects of handling specific types of problems. It can heighten our awareness of what happens in certain situations and how to cope. It can help us to become aware and to develop strength at exercising many nuances of soft skills in our day to day project management practice.

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John Reiling, PMP
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