Project management skills you need to know for self development.

Project management is a valuable skill that can be applied to both personal and professional life. While it is traditionally associated with business and project-based work, the principles and techniques of project management can be used to plan and execute a wide range of personal activities, from bagging a degree to learning a new skill or even moving to a new country.

The ability to define a goal, break it down into manageable tasks, assign responsibilities, manage resources, and track progress are all skills that can be learned through project management training. These skills can help individuals achieve their personal goals and improve their productivity and efficiency in various aspects of their life.

Benjamin Franklin once said:

If you fail to plan, you planning to fail.

The quote by Benjamin Franklin means if we do not prepare, we are setting ourselves up for failure. In contrast, if we prepare, we are setting ourselves up for success. Project managers possess skills that enable them to intentionally prepare (just have a feeling there is something grammatically incorrect with “well” after prepi, you’d need to confirm that) for success. They do not squander opportunities by failing to plan for reasonable scenarios. If a project manager does not prepare, then he is setting himself up for failure. Additionally, project management skills can be valuable in professional positions, where the ability to manage a team and coordinate complex tasks is essential. On the other hand, personal achievements require discipline and personal drive to coordinate life’s complexities towards achieving personal goals. Managing relationships, work-life balance, emotions, personal development and finances is essential to individual growth and development.

Waterfall and Agile Methodologies are important for personal growth.

Waterfall follows a linear path through the initiating, planning, executing, and closing phases of personal goals. This means the goals are identified and documented in the early stages of initiating and planning. Changes are processed thoroughly through personal assessment. Resources are put together to complete the goal and tasks are identified so the individual knows the processes to start with. The individual also knows those that come later. For example, if someone wishes to become a lawyer, the individual is required to go through certain processes such as getting a law degree and be called to the bar. These processes follow a linear progression preparing you for the next phase, like the waterfall methodology.

Agile is more focused on flexibility, possessing the ability to move quick, and adapt to changes. Agile methodology also focuses on the ability to work on several tasks at the same time. Agile still works with the normal project life cycles but rather than waiting for one process to be completed before beginning another, it encourages overlapping tasks. For example, many people combine working and schooling. The working class individual might have a personal goal of getting a higher degree or certification and thus enrolls for a part-time programme that offers the flexibility to overlap work and school. This is also applicable to startup founders who work their regular jobs while building their own companies on the side.

Key skills needed to manage personal development.

Strong decision making ability

Project managers create a collaborative environment and empower their team members to make decisions. This means the project manager should have strong decision making skills, this is evidenced in the individual’s ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of team members before assigning tasks and responsibilities. Indecision can hamper project or personal growth. Personal development involves strong decision making abilities as the individual has to determine what they want and decide how to get it. It involves initiating , planning and execution.

Great communication skills

Communication is a pivotal part of project management and is equally important to personal development. Intra-personal communication, which is the communication we have with ourselves, and interpersonal communication, which is the communication we have with others, are both essential for personal growth and development. Some ways they can be beneficial includes:

• Self awareness
• Relationship building
• Conflict resolution

Strong organizational skills

Staying organized as a person plays a major role in self development. Project managers are expected to organize teams to achieve specific project goals. Organization on a personal level is important to setting and achieving goals, it is also used to keep track of what worked and what didn’t. To-do lists, reminders, alarms and workflows are examples of organizational tools that can be implemented on an individual level.

Flexibility

All project managers need the ability to adapt and overcome challenges and changes. Change and life’s challenges are inevitable and the more flexible you are as a project manager, the more successful you will be in your career and same goes for individuals. Being flexible involves the ability to continue pursuing goals even when unexpected setbacks occur midway. Flexibility helps individuals handle ambiguity. Sometimes things don’t work the way it was planned and this can lead to confusion and ambiguity. There are a few proven steps to handle ambiguity, they include:

• Keep calm
• Communicate with yourself to make sure you clearly understand the situation
• Make decisions and stick to them
• Trust the decisions you’ve made

In conclusion, the link between project management and personal growth and development lies in the principles and techniques of project management, which can be applied to personal goals and aspirations. The process of defining a goal, breaking it down into manageable tasks, managing responsibilities and resources, and tracking progress can help individuals achieve personal growth and development objectives. Project management skills, such as communication, leadership, problem-solving, and time management, can also be valuable in personal contexts. Therefore, project management provides a structured framework for individuals to plan, execute, and achieve their personal growth and development goals.

This article was first published on?The Daily Journal by Desiire Nhabii.