You’re new to project management. How can you quickly develop your skills?

Do 2 things immediately: - Start learning - Find a mentor There are so many resources where you can learn the basics for free. YouTube may be your best friend here. Also, read books by Marty Cagan. Inspired is awesome, and Empowered is another great read. But also find a mentor so you can accelerate your learning.

Stepping into the world of project management is like gearing up for an adventure in uncharted territories. Before you set sail, it’s essential to arm yourself with a map and compass—the basics of project management. Dive into the ocean of knowledge available through online courses, books, and podcasts. These resources are your guides, illuminating the path from project scope to quality, covering every island and bay in between, like stakeholders, risks, and timelines.

One key concept to understand, irrelevant of methodology: The quality triangle of cost, scope and time. You can't have all 3 - if someone wants to increase scope, it'll affect cost and / or time. If they want it faster, it'll affect scope and / or cost. If they want it cheaper, it'll affect scope and / or time. Understanding these constraints is a crucial foundational skill for a new project manager to avoid taking on too much, and knowing how to have a clear conversation of the impacts of any requests around faster, cheaper, more throughout the project.

If you are new to project management research what other institutions are doing for successful programs that are the same or similar to the program you are responsible for and see what they have done, are doing and what you do not want to do and perhaps apply snippets of what you learn to your program. Also, you can always reach out to others with similar experience and see what they say.

There are many great resources that you can find online (YouTube, Coursera, Linkedin Learning, PMI, Scrum Alliance etc.) to kick-start learning the fundamentals of project management. You can also reach out to someone in your network who works in project management to ask how they started their project management learning journey, and if they have any tips with getting started.

In Project Management I have learned that your network is invaluable! Seek individuals who have the same job title and invite them out for a coffee chat. Build meaningful relationships with other people within your industry. Personally I have found LinkedIn and community groups to be a great starting place.

Don’t just limit your quest for knowledge to your immediate circle. The digital realm is bustling with communities where fellow project management adventurers exchange maps and tales. These online forums and groups are like bustling marketplaces of ideas, where you can barter your experiences for new strategies and insights. Embracing feedback isn’t just about collecting accolades; it’s about confronting your dragons—those weaknesses that challenge your journey. It’s a process of continuous learning, where each critique is a stepping stone to mastery. So, hoist the sails and set course towards improvement, guided by the collective wisdom of those who’ve navigated these waters before you.

Once you start putting things into practice, get regular feedback on how you are doing. The sooner you can get feedback in relation to your action, the better able you are to learn. Action + feedback = learning. Action + waiting + feedback = slower learning.

Set yourself ambitious goals, markers on your journey that demand not just the application of what you know but the discovery of what you don’t. It’s in these moments, when you’re pushed to the edge of your comfort zone, that true growth happens. You’ll find that with each new perspective gained and every ounce of confidence earned, your competence as a project manager doesn’t just grow—it soars. So, seize those challenges with both hands and let them sculpt you into the project manager you aspire to be.

We all learn by doing. You won't be able to read a book and then say, "I know how to manage products." The learning comes in the doing. So hop on a project that will challenge you. Apply your skills, and figure out which other ones you need to learn.

Let people know that you're looking for challenges too. If they know you're interested, when an opportunity arises, they are more likely to bring it to your attention, or to let others know you might be the one for the job.

Most people skip this step. Reflection is key to development. Paired with feedback, reflection helps you assess if your actions are helpful (or not). What is working and what do you need to change? Reflection helps you assess which path you are on and if your journey is going effectively. Without reflection, you won't know if you are off course.

Employing tools like SWOT analysis or the SMART framework isn’t just about self-scrutiny; it’s about uncovering treasures of self-awareness—recognizing your strengths as your compass and your weaknesses as areas to navigate with caution. These reflective practices illuminate the opportunities on the horizon and the threats lurking in the shadows, guiding your course towards continuous improvement.

While you reflect, you could use www.ebi rule. That means: 1. What Worked Well Indicate all, even the smallest achievements) 2. Even Better If. What could you change or do to receive the results you wish? Indicate max 3 clear small steps. This helps to pay attention to your strenghts and don’t get stuck on negative things.

In this process, it's important to differentiate between what was within and outside of your control. If a project doesn't go as planned, there's likely a mixture of things outside of your control that are not a reflection on your capability as a project manager. The things within your control are where you want to focus on self reflection and growth. It's the areas where you can actually answer the question "How can I handle this better / differently next time?". Good project managers have failed projects too.

Learning by doing ist wesentlich für die Entwicklung zu einem guten Projektmanager. Suchen sie sich einen Coach der Alltagssituationen mit ihnen reflektiert und in einer Art Probehandeln die Situationen durchspielt. So kann in der n?chsten Situation intuitiv gehandelt werden!

Diving into books, blogs, and articles acts as your daily training, sharpening your mind and keeping you agile. Each piece of new information is like a puzzle piece, helping you see the bigger picture more clearly. Meanwhile, attending events and conferences is akin to joining guilds of fellow adventurers, where tales of conquests and challenges are shared, and wisdom is passed down.

Cross skilling and skill stacking are also valuable learning ventures when it comes to improving your project management. It'll give you a different perspective than those who are niched / specialized and potentially open up different doors and career paths that you might not have expected.

Viele denken dass es wichtig ist viele Projektmanagement-Methoden zu erlernen um ein guter Projektmanager zu werden. Ich denke, dass es viel wesentlicher ist sich mit den Menschen zu befassen. Denn die meisten Projekte scheitern nicht an fachlichen Problemen sondern an den Befindlichkeiten der Beteiligten. Daher empfehle ich eine Ausbildung zum systemischen Coach für jeden Projektmanager.