Day 4: Dream big

It’s Diwali here in India and while the city is decked up in beautiful lights, so is my house.

With the lights everywhere, I wish all of you can hold on to your dream and your goal. I hope you have been following through your goal that you decided on Day 1. Just in case you are off the track, just get back to it from today. Don’t use it as an excuse to start again from next month. It never comes.

So, today Dream BIG.

• Dreaming big changes you- When you dream big, you know you are ready for it. Ready to take on the new challenge, ready to explore opportunities. You tend to become more disciplined.
• Dreaming big changes your focus- When you have already zeroed in on the dream, you now know that you have to focus. Getting the right focus means training your mind and getting ready to win big time.
• Dreaming big means thinking positive- Dreams are always good, they may be grander, larger than life but they are always positive. You have to find a way to keep the positive thoughts going on. Use visuals, try to stay happy by getting involved with positive work, meet awesome people who are making differences everyday, find a voice for yourself, do something that you have meaning to do for long and have never tried. Sounds good but you never have time, meet people (the one whom you admire) online through blogs, twitter and other social avenues. Chances of achieving your dreams are always higher when you can stay positive for a longer haul.
• Dreaming big allows you to be a better thinker- when you really want something, you will find a way to get it.  Staring at the wall and thinking about your big idea isn't all, usually with big thinking and an upbeat positive attitude, you will start thinking about strategies. Strategies can be from meeting up and talking to people asking for advise, it can be finding out ways you haven’t thought of before, reading up for more ideas and then implement it.
• Dreaming big enables positive reinforcement- When you dream big and keep on thinking about it, you associate yourself with something positive. Staying positive will also keep you in a much happier place than constantly thinking about negatives in your life. So, no matter what your current status of mind is you will be looking forward to your big dream and that’s always good.

Read more on keeping up here:

Day 1 : Stop Complaining
Day 2: Stop making plans unless you are ready to follow them through
Day 3: Being scared is ok

Keep working!

(Pic Courtesy: Robinsharma.com)

To know how you can get into project management and all about it, read my book Stepping into Project Management (Welcome to the #PMOT World) and avail the special offer this month. . To connect with experienced Project Manager's from all over the world, get mentored or shadow for a day see the SIPM Community

Day 2: Stop making plans unless you are ready to follow them through

Promises are meant to be broken.

For how many years do you think you want to keep on writing resolutions and keep failing them? So, if you have made a plan and finalized your goal, let’s make sure you can follow it through.

Years ago when I was in University; one of the professors asked us to write down the 5 goals in an index card and keep it in our car. She said, when you start your car in the morning go through the card.
On one side were the goals in bullet points, the other side had a picture glued to it- a picture that would inspire you to attain your goal.

It did help and following through didn't seem that difficult.

• Keep a visual record of your plan- more you see it, easier to follow through. Make a practice of it.
• Set up a relaxed routine that leads you to follow through- If you think too much about doing your task, chances of procrastination are more. The way to deal with it is to stop thinking and create a routine; every morning have a cup of tea when you wake up and then get to your goal area whatever that might be (gym/study/outdoors) and be there for the next 30 minutes. 
• Keep your failures close- moving on is good, however that doesn't mean you have to forget your failures. Keeping them close reminds you of the mistakes and keeps the focus on. Better, you know what it feels to fail. I bet you don’t want to repeat that.
• No shortcuts- Stop taking the easy way out; instead focus on long term benefits and the right way of doing things. Instead of preparing for your certification for the entire day today and then forget about it for the next 10 days, take small steps. Sit for 1 hour everyday at the same time and the same place. Yes, same place, don’t keep on moving throughout the house, find a comfortable place and study there throughout the preparation.
• When off the track, get back to it the next day- we all do it. The problem gets worse when we think, we’ll start from Monday or next months, now that I am already off the track I’ll take this weekend off as well. Wrong. Get back to it the very next day. You don’t want to fail this time.
• Rest Days- Keep a day off. Rest your goals, evaluate them and forget about it. Enjoy the day without stressing. Next day, get back to your routine.

(Pic Courtesy: Pinterest)


To read more about project management and know how to get into the domain, read my book Stepping into Project Management (Welcome to the #PMOT World). To connect with experienced Project Manager's from all over the world, get mentored or shadow for a day see the SIPM Community.

The Art of being Focused

“You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” he said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.”      – Obama 


Lesson learnt. Turns out we can all learn a lesson or two trying to find ways to focus more and get things done.

Everyone has their own way of being focused  however we can always learn and try out ways that others follow. Getting laser sharp focus is attainable .

You can choose to train your brain, to get more focused or continue with your life. Another way to focus, is to ensure your work area or environment.

To increase your focus remembers to:
•Prioritize- This will allow you to focus on the work that needs to get done first. You can also use the Pomodoro technique to get it done.
•Get it done- Focus on what need to get done and get on with it . Get off the internet, emails, phone calls and chit-chat and get working.
•Keep your goal handy- Don’t get complacent while working on the list, keep a written list of your goal in a visible area and browse through it often. Are you among the 84% that don’t have goals? Figure out a way to be among the 3% 
•Take pride in your work- Be responsible, take ownership and be proud of what goes out with your signature in it. And you will focus automatically.
•Be available for criticism- Being present for a positive or otherwise feedback will help you focus more on areas that need improvement. It can definitely turn you into a more focused professional and deal with your shortcomings better.

Focus is the ultimate art to reach your goals.

(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)

To read more about project management and know how to get into the domain, read my book Stepping into Project Management (Welcome to the #PMOT World). 

 To connect with experienced Project Manager's from all over the world, get mentored or shadow for a day see the SIPM Community.

Burned Out?

This morning when he called for the 100th time I decided to pick up the call. I have pretty much ignored it for the entire last week and a half.

I just didn’t want to talk.

The moment I picked up the call, things were like it used to be. I had to ask him why he was calling me and he said it- it was the burn out that was killing him. He wasn’t as inspired as he used to feel.

He had pulled all nighters and rolled himself out to be walked over with expectations and more work and he pretty much volunteered for it all.

I knew how it felt; I had been there and done that. I worked twice the regular hours, worked in 2 time zones, constantly checked my blackberry even in the middle of sleep, slept for less than 6 hours a day, ate lunch at desk and felt very important doing it all. I loved my life, my work life!

Till I pretty much felt like a Zombie; that’s when I decided it was time to reconnect with myself. So, I quit.

Listening to the same story over the call, made me just think how much employees go through and don’t know when to stop.

Some just can’t face the fact that they are going through a problem and there’s no way to love your job as dearly as you did. Few, go through it with their hatred for the job soaring.

Studies estimate that stress costs US businesses up to $300 billion dollars in lost productivity each year. In a Business Week article, Marissa Mayer talks about finding the rhythm, to avoid the burnout. It boils down to one activity that you think is the anchor of your sanity. Like meeting your friends for a Friday night dinner or attending parent teacher meets for working parents.

Turns out there are 4 stages of burn out and it’s a common scenario for all kind of jobs.

Katy Cowan, in her article in The Guardian talks about the physical, emotional, behavorial signs to take as cue before you have the actual breakdown. New hobbies, putting technology way once in a while and learning to switch off and take breaks are the few ways to get back to your regular self.

Taking a creative sabbatical surely is one way and some people are more serious about it than others. Designer Stefan Sagmeister is one of them and he takes it regularly closing his New York based design studio.

Stress might be the predecessor to a burn out, so make sure you know how to identify one.

So, here are 5 ways to combat it:

• Stop ignoring the symptoms- You will always know when you are leaning towards it, just make sure, you don’t ignore the signs and think it will all go away. It won’t until you take some actions for it.
• Talk it out aloud- Call a friend and talk about what you are going through. Unburdening yourself helps and smaller suggestions when reinforced over time will help you convince yourself to take the break.
• Find time to do what you like the best- It’s probably the rhythm, make time to travel, paint, call your best friend or whatever it is you like doing. Just find the time to do it and don’t underestimate the influence of a positive work environment. 
• Me time- Every single day, find time or a routine just for yourself. Even if it’s for 5 minutes, still stick to it. Go for a walk after dinner by yourself or watch your favourite show.
• Get back when you are ready- Some will admit it, some wont; this is a common phase unless you know how to handle it. Break your routine and induce some freshness. Sooner than later, you will be back on your feet and happy to live in the Now.

Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Step it up and out

“I am not rich. I live in a 955 square foot loft in a very small town. My television (which is plugged into a Wii and a Blu Ray player) is about 26″ across, I think. I own one car. Most of my clothes come from the Men’s Wearhouse and Target. I eat well. I won’t deny that (as if my belly would suggest otherwise).


I didn’t get rich quick. Maybe some day after a few more years of working, I can get rich quick. That’d be cool. Like, you know, after 20 years of doing what I do, seeing a check with six zeroes once would be really cool. But that’s not what I do.”

                                                         - Chris Brogan 

Very few of us dare to live the dream, we didn’t set up a goal to travel 193 countries before turning 35 . Our goals are very basic- get a job, buy a car, a home, may be travel and be happy.

In trying to tick off the happiness list, we always look for the path taught to us for years- get your degree, an internship, followed by a job. Work hard, look up and keep moving. Buy bunch of things and don’t think outside the box.

It’s fine, till you get the itch.

That’s when things start changing and more often than not we suppress it. Taking the decision to be unconventional might be terrifying but refreshing for the people who see it from outside, like reading how Scott H Young is completing his MIT challenge . Or people like Jenny Blake, who have quit their job at Google to follow their own passion.

“The thought of going out on my own struck TERROR in my heart — and yet, once I made the decision I knew with 100% certainty that it’s the right thing to do. I’m still scared, but mostly hopeful and excited.”
                                                                                         - Jenny Blake

Sure, you can follow your calling and fail or you can try to dominate the world with your brilliant ideas  but there’s always this fear of the unknown. What if it doesn't take off, what is something goes wrong, what if I am not good enough. Rarely are we risk takers (take your risk assessment here).

So, they say : “Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” - Peter Drucker

So, what are you doing with your life? Are you happy, do you feel fulfilled in your job, your everyday life or do you get the itch- to get out there and do something more.

You can scratch the itch along with your regular life, if you like to play it safe or you can just go out there and do what you have been planning to do all your life.

In most cases than not, things do figure out for themselves. Step out today.

(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)



Have a few seconds to spare- would you mind taking the poll to your right hand side? Thank you.
Want to learn more from real life Project Managers, check out SIPM Community - Connect.  

Beyond the Boys Club- Book Review

I came across this book review here and decided that I should read the book- so I bought it.

It had a waiting period of 10-15 days to import the book from US and then deliver- it was worth the wait and every single bit of the money!

This 292 pages book is a must read if you are a woman working in an organization which has a considerable percentage of men involved.

It lets you in to the secrets and science of being noticed, taking on more responsibility and being promoted. Suzanne Doyle Morris, the author interviews professionals and talks about steps taken by them to be noticed and be considered as part of the all male teams.

With this book you will actually learn and it’s a keeper .

Throughout the 14 chapters of the book she helps women see themselves in ways we have never thought about- the way women are perceived by men, how the body language, smaller things in workplace affect your image. She educates on things to change, things to act on, to do on what will make a favourable impression where you have a sponsor and an advocate for you.

It’s an amazing book and the one book which I think that will change your life and will be used over and over again.

Who should read this Book?

• Women Starting Out- Why wait, when you can read this book and be aware from the beginning on how to manoeuvre your way through professional success.  
• Women In the Profession- Ever felt being sidetracked when you are spending 14 hours a day head down working and producing incredible results? Not getting the right project, the right promotion, the raise? This book is for you.
• No matter what I do; it never works out (for women)- The book reveals perceptions that are working against us ad how we can change them. The do’s and the don’ts of survival and making an impact.
• Men in the Profession- Not all actions are deliberate, this book will allow you to see the point of view of women working with you. An in-depth study, this might be the one book that allows you or your team to understand and create ways to encourage and promote women in your team.

Why should you read this book?

• If you have been frustrated by your career track and umpteen hours at your desk hasn’t produced any favorable results.
• Has goals to grow and wants to know how to work the system.
• If you are a women and a minority in your organization, this is a must read. Even if you have never felt out of th loop and get along well and are happy with your job, this might be life changing for you.

What’s the price and where can I find it?

• US Readers- $22.99 (new), $3.55(used)
• UK Readers- 13.99 pounds (new), 6.29 pounds (used)
• India Readers- 1257 (INR)

Who is the author?
You can find all about the author here and this is her Linkedin profile.

If you want a short video to see her talk about the book click here

You can also watch her interview in the video below:



To read her interview about her new book Female Breadwinners here 

Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office - Book Review

I was shopping for another book (review to come soon) when I spotted this one- Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office- Lois P. Frankel, PhD; had a great review so decided to add it to the shopping cart as well.

And I loved reading it (twice) and it’s a keeper.

Recently I read this article on Sheryl Sandberg here  and more at NY Times, so with this book  and what women are achieving I think the definition of “Nice” is ever changing! You can also see this video of Sandberg talking about the balance of her career and family here.  

The book with 268 pages starts with defining the workplace as a game where learning to play chess can come in handy! The book formatted as 101 tips are individual chapters which make for easy read.

Throughout the chapters, the author emphasizes on building relationships at work which are great way to network and use your job as a way to grow and let others know about you. Men usually are more naturally tuned to taking breaks and networking unlike women. Women take pride in being hard workers and not good networkers.  

She mentions that women shouldn’t take up low key assignments and agree to making coffee and taking notes; building your career is a lot more about choosing the way you present yourself at work! You need to give reasons why you should be considered for the next promotion!

The book gives helpful tips and elaborates on the way women behave in similar situations and can be far away from how men do. She also suggests in most chapters, books and articles to read and refer and take away lessons in bullet point for a quick referral later.

Investing in relationships is stressed over and over in the book. I read this somewhere else (not this book) and I think wrote about it in the blog as well, that keeping a budget for meeting people is also highly recommended. And it’s a known fact that influencer’s network well! Sheryl Sandberg hosts monthly meet ups at her place and has been doing it for sometime now. Most #PMOT influencers I know are great at networking, a lesson to be learnt.

The book is witty and funny with a lot of real life examples like that of a woman stuck in a man’s world job, where she had to start smoking to stop being considered a woman and being accepted easily by her peers. Although she later said, she stopped smoking and with her credentials in place, she had nothing more to prove. But those initial days, smoking got her easily accepted among men.

The book handles regular work life example and states on the required changes in behaviour or body language and things to be avoided. It’s always not beneficial to keep your head down at work, sometimes it’s considered lack of interest in leadership or taking more responsibility, instead they are considered good workers who are then bogged down and delegated more work. While the networkers and who take more breaks and tell about their interest in other roles are given the chance to grow.

Your brand is important and this has been going on for some time now. You are what you bring to the table as an individual and not the list of companies you have worked before. Build your brand and let people know about it. Getting a professional coach is recommended in the book, if you can’t afford, find a mentor at least.

If you like something people do, don’t be shy to tell them that and ask for guiding you, in most cases they reply back and help out. Especially in the age of social media, it isn’t really difficult to get access. If you are looking for people whose careers you want to emulate, ask them how they did it or look at their Linkedin profiles- it will give you something to start with.

Take up volunteering opportunities, keep a watch for the next job- the day you start a new one and start talking to people.  I know one of my friend; based in Chicago who is hugely successful and is constantly meeting friends and attending parties every weekend, sometimes 3 in one day. Twice a year, she makes  a list of all the people she has met and been invited over to and clubs them into 3-4 groups of people who will get along well with each other and over the next 4 weekends, invites them over for dinner. I went for one and loved it very much. Over barbecue and dinner and a beautiful home and pre-planned list of guests, they all get along well and talk about new opening and job trends to more networking opportunities. You’ll be surprised how many job openings are discussed over and candidates pushed for those.

Personally I think, don’t sideline yourself, I have seen women in meetings who don’t sit, like to stand in the corners and never speak in meeting even when they are given opportunities to. Somehow lack of taking initiative and displaying their presence and opinions don’t allow them to get invited to the next meeting.

Dress and make up plays a vital role, you can read up on some tips here  and Peter Taylor in his book The Lazy Project Manager also talks about the advantage of putting on a well cut suit to make your presence known, if not everyday at least during meetings. 

The book is a good read, must read if you will and definitely allows you to change positively and perhaps an avenue for a promotion or two!

Entrepreneurship- An interview with Debarati Goswami

This month, we take a look at a new venture that has taken a leap of faith, moved countries and in spite of hardships kept their hearts in one place.

Today we meet Debarati Goswami, the co-founder of Educocity and talk about her journey that has taken her from the usual employee role to an entrepreneur.  She talks about the hardships if being an entrepreneur in India, the role that project management plays in their development process and their plans for 2012!

·         You moved back from US to India to start your own company- tell us about it.

My husband Bappaditya and I were both working with Apple Inc. as consultants for close to 3 years each, when the entrepreneurial bug bit us. After having been located in the Silicon Valley for quite some time, the ‘big’ question was whether we should start up in the US or in India. We listened to our heart and moved back to India in late 2009.

We wanted to do something in the education space because the roots of a society lie in its education system. As everyone knows by now, our conventional education systems are failing us miserably both in India as well as in first world countries like UK & USA. We thought it’s about time to do something so that students start taking interest in ‘learning’ rather than mere rutting. 

The need for a common platform where everyone associated with any educational institution, be it students, teachers or parents can come together and create an environment for learning was becoming more and more apparent. We wanted to build a city for education (Educo is the root word for education is Latin) Thus ‘Educocity’ was born.

·         How well is a collaborative platform like this one being adapted in India? Or is your target audience outside India?

GUIDE is a cloud based, collaborative, Learning Management Platform from Educocity.com. GUIDE stands for ‘Grow as YoU Identify Delight in Education’ and is all about making the process of learning fun and enjoyable, delightful yet more effective than the conventional methods.

A conscious shift in pedagogical methods is taking place across the world.  Pedagogy is changing from being prescriptive (where the teacher teaches, the students only listen) to collaborative (where teachers and students interact among themselves and absorb the knowledge) Collaboration is no more a thing of the future, rather something we do day in and day out. While various ’collaborative’ software products are available in the market today, they are mostly content based. We believe GUIDE stands apart because it is a platform that the users can use according to their needs instead of tying them up with a specific set of contents.

India has been under the influence of ‘prescriptive pedagogy’ for too long. However, India is gradually opening up to the idea of collaboration within an educational institution and taboos are dissolving. Some institutions are not comfortable sharing their private data with the world. Also we have a relatively young user base, most of them being school going kids. Hence, if institutions want, they configure GUIDE as a walled-garden wherein the safety and privacy of the users are not compromised.

India is at the epicentre of our focus. However, at the same time, we are also looking at other advanced markets, which are easier to penetrate without much user training.

·         What have been the few challenges in working in an entrepreneurial mode in India?

India is still in a nascent stage when it comes to entrepreneurial ecosystem. Professionally, the biggest hurdle we faced was amassing a seed-fund. No investor is ready to invest in a concept and having at least a prototype in place is a prerequisite for raising funds. Thus, boot-strapping is the only viable option most Indian entrepreneurs are left with. This makes the process longer and more difficult and we have seen a lot of people quit their entrepreneurial journey over it.

Also, in India, being an entrepreneur pushes you into a minority bracket and is still considered as an unwise choice by the middle-class society. At times it can take a toll on the family life, especially with parents and relatives. We are lucky to have a very sound support system in place. For others, it might be even tougher.

However, the current scenario is improving in leaps and bounds and we are hopeful that India will catch up with its western counterparts in a few years from now.

·         What does 2012 hold for educocity?

2012 is going to be the most crucial year that our venture has seen till date. We have big plans lined up including an international launch. We are also looking to raise some serious funds. For our venture hopefully this will mean an entire new scale to operate in.

We have also already roped in a few important customers and we will start operating at these sites as soon as these institutes open doors for new students in the 2012-2013 academic session.

·         In all these years trying to develop the product, how have you managed the process?

Having seen how a world class company like Apple looks like from within, we have been very particular about processes and quality adherence from the very beginning.

We try to keep the Product Management, Product Engineering and Service Delivery units all separate from each other since most of the time they have conflicting interests.

We also follow the Agile Scrum methodology to keep our development cycles short. This essentially means an iterative, incremental framework for project management. Scrum is perfect for a lean organization like us. It reduces our process overheads drastically and hence the team is almost always able to deliver faster. It also acts as the perfect remedy against deadline slippage due to scope creeps.

We are also finicky about following checklists. Implementation checklist, development checklist, quality adherence checklist, test plan checklist, you name it we have it. This helps us to maintain the standards without much review effort.

·         Tell me 3 things we should know about your product.

We call GUIDE from Educocity a virtual cloud campus on rent, which essentially boils down to:

No software installation is required to start using GUIDE. It can be accessed over a web-browser and low-bandwidth internet which makes it available anytime from anywhere without being tied to a particular machine. If you want to try, just hit educocity.com and go for a ‘Try GUIDE Demo’ option.

No upfront capital investment is required from the educational institution’s end. We only charge on pay-as-you-go basis based on the total number of users. Thus, GUIDE is especially suitable for small to medium institutions who do not want to maintain in-house IT department.

GUIDE is the most intuitive Learning Management system you would have seen. The user interface is simple and clutter free and you can get started from the word go. There are no steep learning curves and hours spent going through elaborate learning manuals. We believe in the beauty of simplicity.

You can also follow @educocity in Twitter or ask your questions, request a demo directly to @Debaratiz

   

Honest Confessions

Being honest isn’t easy.

When I started this blog, I wanted everyone to know the hurdles and the real life story of what happens every day.

I have been honest but there are times when you tend not to write about the truth- the horrible days, the irritating moments and the failures. When you are aware that the blog is being read, you don’t want to feel vulnerable and to protect your work identity and private details, you skip it.

But here am I, someone who promised to tell the truth, don’t want to be miles away from the truth as well.

I have had bad days like most of us, really bad days at work- when someone doesn’t get the point, takes advantage of me being polite, back stabs you for not getting what they want, sabotages your projects just because they want to and hate you for you-can’t-figure it out. It’s all part of the game.

It’s all alright as long as you can take it or if it happens for a few days and you have managed it well. Mentors can be great assets during this time period, especially if you have in-house mentors. However, there will be always days, when nothing gets solved, you feel horrible, feel belittled and feel you are in the wrong place.

Team building and management is an art and when they don’t follow certain aspects of life, work life can becomes as stressful as it sounds.

Stress, deadlines, projects can all be handled if you have a great team and good support system at work. When it doesn’t, stop blaming yourself- you can do so much with your life.

Pick up your life and get going, get another certification, look for your next job, write the perfect resume and don’t blame yourself for not being the right fit. Sometimes, it’s just not about you!

Want to read up on what great project managers do, download the collection of interviews that happened in the blog by clicking here  (its free).

Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Challenge Accepted!

This is a guest post from Josh Nankivel from PM Student. If you are trying to begin your path in project management or are into it, Josh's blog is a treat. He also reached his half a million visitors this year! Congratulations.

This road sign is pretty much what the path forward looked like to me when I started my venture into formal project management.

Sheesh!

Perhaps you can relate. Since then, I’ve combined what I’ve learned in my own journey with the things I wish I would have known to start with and try to help other people who are starting out.

These are the steps you can start taking today to de-mystify your project management career.

Step 1 - You Are Here

If you don’t know where you are starting from, it’s pretty tough to move forward.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ advice for starting or advancing your project management career. Imagine a GPS system in your car that has no knowledge of your current location. It doesn’t work, does it?

You can leverage your background, skills, and interests in different ways to get started. If you have a technical background, there are tons of strategies to use that to your advantage. The same is true if you come from a general or operational management background. Even if you are just starting out and don’t feel you have much experience or background to leverage, it’s very important to acknowledge that and use your interests and natural talents effectively.

Write it down. In the course I teach worksheets are provided to help you clearly define your ‘current location’ as a foundation from which to move forward. You can even start with a blank page and just do a SWOT analysis of your current position. Going through this process will help generate ideas about what you might be interested in pursuing and how you can parlay what makes you unique into opportunities going forward.

Step 2 - Define Your Destination And Plot The Course

Imagine that same GPS unit knows where you are currently at, but has no idea or only a vague notion of where you want to go.  Again, pretty hard to get there...

I recommend researching organizations to eventually target 3-5 companies that you would really love to work for, who have clear indicators they value project management as a discipline, are in an industry you love, and with whom you can leverage your starting point to quickly achieve your initial goals.

Aside from targeting the right organizations, this is the step where you start to examine how you should augment your tool kit with certifications, education, and above all gaining experience with projects in ways that will make you more competent and appealing to those target organizations.

Step 3 - Build Professional Relationships

Almost anything worth doing requires more than just one person.

When you get lost you want to have a circle of friends who know, like, and trust you that will help put you back on course. Networking is a scary word for most people, but I’m talking about building relationships here. And now that you have a clear set of routes planned for, you know exactly what kind of people you should focus on building strong professional relationships with.

The most important factor here is giving, giving, giving. If you want to get people to know, like, and trust you it’s all about being indispensable to them. Most people go about networking all wrong. They come across as a nuisance, expecting someone who barely knows them to spend time, effort, and social capital to fulfil a request.

You shouldn’t be requesting anything until you’ve delivered so much value to someone they feel obligated to repay all the favors you’ve done for them. Every person is going to be receptive and value different things, so you really have to know the people in your network if you want to provide them with real value. This isn’t something you can do halfway; do your homework and be specific. Set up whatever you are willing to do for them to make it so easy for them to say yes.

In fact, all they should have to do is say yes.

Here’s an example.  In September a local recruiter who is part of my network of friends reached out to me because I’ve always been willing to point him to qualified candidates, and he knows he is going to get a quality referral from me.  I have built up that trust over time by demonstrating my willingness and ability to deliver value to this recruiter.

It was a position for a Junior Project Manager position, and as it happens I knew someone else in my network who I thought would be a good fit. I made the connection between the two.  Here’s what happened:

•The recruiter gained a high-quality candidate referral.

•The candidate got a nice recommendation and referral for a position he’d love to have a chance at.

•I reinforced my status with both of them as someone who loves helping other people get what they want, without any expectations or hassle.

Voila! The virtuous circle is complete. All 3 parties here gained value. This is my style of networking and it’s a continuous process, not an event. Will I ever ‘get back’ the value I gave to these two individuals? Perhaps not. It doesn’t matter. If you do this often enough over time, you get to be known, liked, and trusted. Pay it forward, and you’ll be amazed what opportunities open up for you at some unexpected time in the future.

Step 4 - Drive With Confidence

In the last part of my course I get to the logistics of the job hunt; resumes/CVs, coverletters, portfolios, interviews, and dealing with offers and rejections. If you’ve done steps 1 and 2, and are constantly doing step 3, this is the icing on the cake.

Unfortunately, most people think this is the cake. It’s not!

(When did Josh switch from car to cake analogies? Just go with it people, I’m eccentric like that :-)

The goal of the previous steps is to never go into this phase of the process cold. You will be better prepared than the majority of candidates for whatever position you are applying. The vast majority of people do not know what I teach or actually take action to implement this stuff. They do what everyone else does instead; apply and pray.

If you’ve done your homework and put sincere effort into the process described earlier, the hiring managers will already know who you are and will be excited to interview you.  Imagine that!  

In the best cases the clear ‘vibe’ I’ve gotten when I did this well is that the whole application and interview process was just a formality; they already knew they wanted to hire me. In fact, you’ll notice I didn’t mention anything about searching the job boards online. This isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but if you are doing the rest of what I’ve outline well you should never have to. The goal is to hear about new positions from someone in your network who knows, likes, and trusts you... and wants you to come work with them.

The 10,000 Hour Rule

There will always be moments when you need the extra push in your life to get to your next milestone. Everytime I have pushed myself I end up surprising me. It's true for most people I know.

This long weekend, I ended up watching the triathlon in television and heard the narrators talk about the winner and how she has been out of the sports for a year and came back better than ever- and won!

It made me think, how I get too comfortable or even complacent sometimes and don't do what I can do or should do. There are times, when you just know it is the right time for you to take action or make he next move. If you have always wanted to become a project manager, may be this is the time to look for a new opportunity or simply learn a new skill.

So, July is my month to do everything I'm not comfortable doing and trust me it's a long list.

So, I took a break. I thought about it while I roamed the isles of the Japanese grocery and filled in my cart with steamed buns, dumplings, sea weed, bean sprouts and a beautiful tea set.

By the time I came back home after an entire day spent outside- shopping and watching people in the mall; I read this piece (see below). It struck me as just the perfect thing I should have read. So - why not share?

Given below are some paragraphs that really touched me, however you can read the entire article here.

The author Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers described the 10,000 Hour Rule as a reason why some people become successful. This rule is based on a study that was conducted by Anders Ericsson.

In this study, it was discovered that those who became successful in their given field had practiced it for a total of 10,000 hours prior to being discovered. InGladwell’s book, he uses the example of the Beatles and how they practiced for 10,000 hours prior to becoming famous.

Every spare moment I had, I was reading or talking to someone who was doing what I wanted to do. I also began to apply the theories to my life and started living what I studied.

When Charlie Rose asked Steve Martin about what advice would he give to others starting out in the acting business, Martin said the following: “Be so good at what you do that they cannot ignore you.

A guy dressed in sweat pants may seem like a no body to you but for all you know, he may be the person that has the ability to help you achieve a certain goal.

Years ago, I read a biography on the life of the singer Madonna. Many people recounted how when Madonna was just a club act, she handled every show as if it were a concert in a huge arena. The general conclusion was that she was acting like a superstar even before she became one.

Visualization is a tool that I use frequently because I have seen it work. Many times in my life, I visualized achieving certain goals or having certain funds. And every single time without fail, each item that I visualized became a reality. Sometimes it took hours and other times it took years.

(Pic Courtesy)

Want to have fun and learn more from real life Project Managers, check out http://beta.steppingintopm.com/

When to say - NO

Its all white outside and looks pretty until you have to go out and thats when you know all things pretty might not be the reality.

If you are new to your organization or department, what are you facing? Is it cold or warm?

Do you have problems keeping up with your work? Are you saying "yes" to everything and seem to overburdened with the work? I personally have this problem of saying yes. I always think I can learn so much more and commit. What happens is by the end of the day/week, you still have more to do. It never ends.

To learn when to say "NO" and stop right there might be a good idea, honestly am yet to learn and execute it. So, we can learn this together.

Here's how to not work the hardest and yet be the team favorite and when the time comes, how should you negotiate.

Taking breaks and once in a while "work from home" if your policies allow is great, because you can just relax, watch the snow, put on some good music and work. More than often working from home is so much more productive because you can simply cut the unwanted noise and focus on the required. Learn to handle busy-ness.

(Pic Courtesy)

Why it’s hard being a newbie?

Obviously because no one will take you seriously.

People are hesitant to give you the chance to whip up a really nice project. They will always blame your inexperienced soul, your lack of domain knowledge, your inability to handle deadline and pressure.

I know. Newbies might not have 16 years of experience behind them but they sure have the new technology, the zeal to work harder and flame to learn more. Try that.

So, if you are having a hard time getting a spot in the team:

• Observe well. Swoop down on every opportunity to volunteer for extra work.
• Get the best mentor possible and use your persuasion skills to convince them that you are here for real- to be a project manager.
• When you are pushed to the sidelines, work harder. Finish your assigned task and dive deeper into projects. Read through project documents if you get nothing else.
• Start a blog. It can turn people around- write truly, honestly and on what you can. Now they know you are into it and want to grow.
• Don’t take a NO personally. It’s just that most people don’t want to spend the time to train you; they would rather do it themselves. Persistence pays.
• Stick around. Be there. Listen to client calls, meeting updates, anything really. Try taking meeting notes.
• Read about terminologies, technology, clients- anything that will help you understand the next conversation better. Scribble the technical jargon you don't understand that you overheard two seniors talking about to "search" them later and learn about.
• Get along yet be professional. It’s important to be objective as well. Know where to draw the line.
• Never give up because it’s not happening right now. It will because you won't give up.
• Do the right thing. Don’t get involved in politics or back door policy to get what you want. It will backfire.

(Picture Courtesy: Google Images)

Looking into the brain of a Project Manager

I get mails from my blog readers- all interesting questions and thank you for taking the time to do it.

This one was however different, the reader emailed me saying that as a "software developer" he wants to know how Project Managers do the trick and sends me a list of questions.

I decided to post it here to make sure he has more help than I can give him alone- plunging into the minds of Project Managers.

Reader asks:

• How do you select/choose the best possible candidate of your technical team? Do you have some sort of criteria / selection process which you may want to share?
• How do you ensure that each person on your project team is highly motivated?
• How do you cope when one (or some) of your project(s) is/are
  getting way behind schedules and upper management is pinching you on
  the matter?
• How do you decide on the methodology with which to apply on your project?
• Best advice (or something learned) ever from a person on your project team?

Helping someone learn is great and he seems sincere in his efforts at least. Take your pick Project Managers and please help him out!

(Picture: Google Images)

Getting job in the new economy

Alec is one my favorite Project Managers whom I really enjoy talking to. The economy has made us all aware of our jobs more than ever. So, are there things that we can do to keep us prepared for the next move, the next job, the next strategy- I ask Alec.

Hi Alec, glad to have you back at Stepping into PM. Do you think that with the changing times job hunting has become a new game?

Hi Soma. It’s always great to speak with you. Your question reminds me of a comment a friend of mine made recently. He is a Broadway actor here in New York. For anyone not familiar first-hand with the acting profession, it is a world characterized by many people going to many auditions and chasing relatively few jobs. His comment was, “Now everyone is experiencing what it is like to be an actor.”

What are the three most important things to keep in mind while looking for a job ?

Professional career coaches have always de-emphasized job boards and want ads. This is even more important in today’s economy. I’d go so far as to say if a person looking for a job is spending more than 1 hour a day answering ads and perusing job boards, they are using their time much less efficiently than they could. Three suggestions:

1. Treat your search like a full-time job. If you’re a project manager, handle it as if you were just handed a major initiative for your client. Spend at least 7 hours a day on your project. If you can’t work at home, find someplace else to go. Here in the States, Starbucks is filled right now with people conducting job campaigns 9 am – 5pm.
2. Know what distinguishes you from everyone else out there. Are you crystal-clear on what Richard Koch http://is.gd/tcfh calls your 20% spike – those things that you can easily do better than most others? If not, spend some time figuring these out. This is not the time to apply for any job. There’s too much competition for each position. To have a chance, you must focus only on those positions which tightly correspond to your best skills.
3. You must reach out to others. Sending out resumes randomly won’t work. You must talk to people, message them, seek them out, befriend them, and seek to serve them without focusing on what they can do for you.

Does networking really come in handy while doing so?

Some people think of networking as trying to get someone else to do something for them. This is called “using”. It won’t work. A better type of networking is developing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. If you seek to serve, to help, to give to others, you are on the right track.

So, lets say I'm looking for my next step to move into project management, what should I be doing to get the job in today's economy?

While the long-term employment prospects for project managers continue to be good, it may be a little hard going at the moment. My belief is that a new project manager will be more likely to find a position in today’s economy through their existing contacts, that is, those people they’ve worked with before and can vouch for them. Go after the jobs which haven’t yet been advertised. Prepare a portfolio of documents, plans, anything you have which can show you know what you’re doing.

Where do you think "social media" is coming in these days in the job search scenario? There are so many recruiters in Twitter, hundreds of candidates who would like to network- what is the right thing to do?

Twitter has now become, "The next big thing". All the media outlets, marketers and others are getting on board. Some recruiters on twitter will be of extreme help to job seekers. Other recruiters are making big promises with little evidence to back them up. The best advice is just to get out there and start using social media. If you have questions, ask the people you meet online. There are many, many generous and helpful people around.

Thanks Alec