How can you get advice on developing your project management skills from your network?

3 Prepare your questions

When you contact someone for advice, you want to make a good impression and show that you respect their time and expertise. One way to do that is to prepare your questions in advance and make them specific, relevant, and concise. You can ask them about their project management journey, their best practices, their challenges, their recommendations, or their feedback on your current or past projects. You can also ask them for resources, such as books, courses, podcasts, or blogs, that they find useful for learning project management skills.

4 Follow up and maintain the relationship

After you receive advice from someone in your network, you should always follow up and thank them for their time and insights. You can also share how you applied their advice, what results you achieved, or what challenges you faced. This will show that you appreciate their input and that you are serious about improving your project management skills. You can also maintain the relationship by staying in touch, providing updates, offering help, or asking for more advice when appropriate. This will help you build trust and rapport with your network and open up more opportunities for learning and growth.

5 Seek diverse perspectives

One of the benefits of getting advice from your network is that you can learn from different perspectives and experiences. You can seek advice from people who have different backgrounds, levels, roles, industries, or cultures than you. This will help you broaden your horizons, challenge your assumptions, and discover new ways of thinking and doing project management. You can also seek advice from people who have different styles, preferences, or opinions than you. This will help you develop your critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills.

6 Apply and reflect on the advice

Getting advice from your network is only the first step. The next step is to apply and reflect on the advice you receive. You can try out new techniques, tools, or strategies that you learned from your network and see how they work for you. You can also evaluate the outcomes, benefits, or drawbacks of following the advice and compare them with your expectations or goals. You can also reflect on what you learned, what you enjoyed, what you struggled with, or what you want to improve. This will help you consolidate your project management skills and identify your strengths and areas for development.