Professional Development Program for Project Management

The need for professional development is certainly not limited to the field
of project management (PM). Every industry and every profession requires some continued education and training to stay informed, to remain respected, and to stay employed.

There is no age limit regarding learning and self-improvement. It is a matter of determining self-worth, setting personal expectations, aspiring to succeed, and analyze not only where improvement is needed but also to expand knowledge.

Establishing a professional development program for project managers is an essential component of a mature project management organization, as well as any organization that has adopted some type of project methodology. The need for PM processes within an organization is largely based on the type of products and services offered by the organization, the management support structure, and the size of the organization.

Once PM has been accepted to achieve success, project managers are then assigned to accomplish the tasks and complete projects according to expectations.

In many cases, project managers are assigned accidentally. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time or just happened to be available. Some people are given the title project manager because they are well organized and are good at making lists. Others are assigned because of their past performance and can be counted on to succeed. Whatever the case, a project manager will be required to learn new skills and enhance existing skills to be successful.

These skills include increasing his or her knowledge bout business, working with people, organizing, delegating, and communicating. A professional development plan creates a road map for self-improvement and may also become a highway pointing toward greater assignments and high-level positions.

Whether planning for professional development is an individual effort or one
required by an organization’s management, there should be a logical path to follow. Project managers may fit into several categories or levels from entry-level to advanced, and maybe rank-ordered through performance appraisals and feedback. Aspiring project management professionals, people who have been assigned to manage projects, even those who would like to become part of this fast-growing and essential profession, should have some type of plan in place to help them improve and to succeed.

There isn’t one universal process that can be applied across all industries and disciplines and for every type of project manager or person interested in some way in the profession, but there are some basic things to consider. As Steven Covey says First things first.

We need to start somewhere. It may be helpful to determine how a person became a project manager. Some accept the assignment willingly. Others fight it at every opportunity. Some don’t believe there is a need for formal project management.

Many others embrace the methodology and procedures. Many believe that PM is their career. We also need to know how management views PM and the need for a methodology. When the true interest in the profession is established by the individual, an appropriate professional development process can be initiated. Formal training can be established based on knowledge and experience.

Some types of progressive education and skills training tailored to the individual can be created. Expectations can be set at the beginning of an assignment and should become the basis for performance appraisals. Coaching, mentoring, and progressively more complex projects may be assigned.

Project managers can start out as assistants and cost engineers or manage many small but important projects to assist in evaluating their abilities.

It is important to establish a benchmark or overall level of competency. An
excellent source of information and a readymade Project Manager Skill Profile
can be found in the book “The World Class Project Manager”, by Robert K. Wysocki and James P. Lewis, Perseus Publishing.

This book will assist a manager, or an individual project manager, in preparing a professional development strategy to meet specific needs and can be used to create a more organization-wide process. The skill profile provides a comprehensive view of the many skills required to be successful as a project manager. The major headings of the profile are:

· Project Management Skills: Charter development, project planning, critical path management, etc.

· Management Skills: Delegation, leadership, managing change, etc.

· Business Skills: Budgeting, Strategic Planning Customer service

· Interpersonal Skills: Conflict management, negotiating etc.

· Personal Skills: Verbal communications, written communications

From this profile, a detailed assessment of an individual can be created and
can form the basis for a professional development program, customized as needed.

Project managers should be encouraged to continue their education, not just to improve weak areas and fine-tune existing skills but to learn new skills, to find out more about how other organizations and other cultures get things done.

Education in the field of project management should be a never-ending journey. It requires individual interest and effort as well as management support. The profession is changing, the needs of our customers and our organizations are changing and therefore what we knew yesterday and today may not be enough for success tomorrow.

Set up a path for continued success by creating a personal development plan or speak with your management; either way, it’s the right thing to do.