How can you keep everyone happy?

Chances are you cannot.

However with a few carefully thought out lists you can keep some of them happy:

•Ask questions- don’t assume anything in a project if you are not sure about it. Repeat what you understood to keep things clear.

•When doing any project documentation, maintain the versioning system and track all change requests. If you are responsible for keeping tracks, make sure you date them correctly and mention why a new version is being done. It solves a lot of disputes later.

•Keep your project manager in the loop, if you report to one. Don’t hand out final documents at the last moment and no have time to tweak anything.

•Stop giving excuses. It doesn’t help your credibility. Be accountable and just go head and do it.

•Speak up for yourself. Don’t be rude to your team, however don’t let anyone else take advantage of the fact that you never speak up. If someone else is blaming you for something you didn’t do, be polite, clarify and then offer to help.

•Be honest- it shows in your work and management gets it.

•Ask for advice, talk to people and then take your own decision. If you want a raise, promotion make sure you are not randomly talking about it and wasting someone s time. Getting ready for it takes time and make sure you out the effort. Keep an excel sheet of your contribution to the team, or time you have taken initiative and you were appreciated, brought in business or client liked your work. More the data, stronger your case. If possible, mention the dates, copies of emails along with or proof enough, so your boss doesn’t thing you are making it up.

•Show up with a smile and lot of positive attitude. Don’t always say- it cannot be done or it’s not time enough. If you think- the deadline doesn’t make sense, tell them you are trying your best and will keep them in the loop as the work progresses.

•Ask for help. Don’t be a slacker and get your work done by someone else. Just make sure don’t be shy if you need help with some calculation, need a peer review of your project or simply need to meet the deadline.

•Don’t be selfish- make sure your team gets the credit. They are the ones you spend 8 hours a day with. You downplay them or lie- it will come back to you the very next day.

Have a great Monday everyone!

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Newbie Power- why you shouldn’t underestimate them?

Newbies may be taken for granted and be the go to person to get your paperwork faxed, photocopied and the runner for your three o clock latte fix.

They are new but they are smart.

Here’s why you might want to re-think:

•They lack the experience but boy they know how to communicate! Phone, twitter, gadgets they have it all and use it very successfully.

•They are fiercely competitive and know to market themselves

•If they seem lazy and not being upto the job, chances are you bore them and they have been secretly texting their friends about how their new office sucks.

•They are the decision makers- about their career. You control the project but if they don’t like what they see, they quit .

•Chances are they are a brand and know how to build one better than anyone else.

•They have age on their side- you don’t know what they will be 5 years later. So treat everyone the way you would like to be treated.

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New Graduates/newbies- news ways to find jobs

I somehow get in touch with new graduates all the time- all looking for jobs.

Yep and it is hard in this economy to get one. However, I have always thought there are also new ways to find one at the same time.

I've always tried to help my friends or sometimes even strangers and the fact that I run for blog for newbies I should probably know something about it.

Infact, I have a volunteer since last month- I read Tim Ferris'- 4 hour work week and read all about delegating work to free up some of your time and I thought why not? I can try it out but instead of hiring people or outsourcing the work- I told my friends that I was looking for some help. By next day I had a handful of resumes in my inbox.

I narrowed it down to a potential marketing PhD candidate for next year and we both learn something out of it by working together. She volunteers 10 hours/week with me (remotely done, she is from Oklahoma) and she learns what it took me 3 years to figure out. She is gaining some experience hopefully while I look forward to get some fresh ideas from her.

So, for all of you who are looking to find a job, watch the video and get going. You can still get the experience you want to include in your resumes and yes- plan for it ahead of time.

The best thing that can happen with technology and social media is connecting and approaching these people is not difficult- you have open access to them and you can stay in one continent and volunteer for something in another.

Update your skills -now!

Time to update your wardrobe bring out your winter clothes and full sleeves, watch new season of greys anatomy and learn new skills.

So, why should blogrolls be left behind? There are new additions now:

http://scrummethodology.com/

http://agilemethodology.org/

http://www.agile-software-development.com/

Isn't that something?

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Improvement- checklist

If you have been working towards your goal for quite sometime now, have you sat back on a weekend and assessed how you have been doing? It is as important to know if you are in the right track as it is to work smart.

•Review your diary/blog and see where you were one year ago goal wise

•How fruitful has the journey been? Have you accomplished your benchmarks?

•Has the projects been in tune to what you want to work in and as?

•Have you taken a PM certification or are you working towards it?

•How many project managers have you spoken to?

•Has your networking grown?

•Do you have the same routine in work that you had a year back?

•Have you been recognized for team work, or leadership or initiative?

•List three things you have done in the last 1 year that has helped you grow and share it with friends.

•List 3 things you have to work on seriously this year.

•Mark your defining moment.

•What keeps your dreams fired up? Write them down and pin it to the wall.

•Where should you be in a year and in what role?

•Keep up the good work and as they say- you will be rewarded!

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How to train your mind

If there is one thing that can be considered more necessary than building up your communication skills while trying to be a project manager, it has to be training your mind.

It’s the powerhouse, the inner core strength that will take you distances. When untrained, it’s the one that will be responsible for your downfall, the slips in your speech, one wrong action and the oops- you have done it again!

Train your mind by:

Reading more- Reading should not be limited to project management related books/articles only, don’t restrict yourself. Read anything catches your attention, browse through book stores often. You benefit by having a larger base of knowledge that will help you be much more innovative. Understand psychology or strategy - whatever gets your attention.

Toughest of times- It will be hard, it has to. But this is where you will hone your skill for the best. Staying composed in the most difficult of times will earn you that extra brownie later. Train yourself to find ways to soothe your nerves, vent out creatively and use that bursts of energy to re-channelize in something more positive- a way to get out of it. I jot down my problems and work it off like a puzzle. When I am too involved in the problem and can't think straight, I just sleep as much as I can for the next two days and I pick up the problem again later and to my surprise the intensity has weared off.

Be wise and bold- Use your opportunities wisely, be prepared. You never know when the opportunity will come and when it does, you shouldn’t have to pass. When I was learning to drive, a friend of mine told me something that I’ll never forget- never look at the car before you, always look two cars ahead; that way you know what will happen ahead of your time and you will be prepared. Work smart and get to know people.

Blow your own trumpet- If its all show and no work, this will not work. If you are really putting effort into something and doing well, make sure others know about it. You don’t have to be a snob, just make sure people are aware so you are in mind when they schedule the next resource for the special project. I put it mildly, I tell my Project Manager- Thank you for allowing me to do this, I really learnt a lot and if you are interested and have the time; this is what I did (show your work/email the matter).

Persistence will pay off- How long can you hold on to your dreams? More closer you are to achieving it the harder it gets. Train yourself, so you don’t disintegrate during the tough times. Diversify the energy, stay calm and be confident in your abilities. It helps me to read books I have been waiting to read or watch movies which inspire me a lot.

Build your confidence- There’s nothing like it. More you know about projects or the inner details of your scope of work, more confident you become. Get external help, talk to people with same job profiles, have as much as information you possibly can. Never be complacent about your job, there’s always something more.

Be Calm- Tough cookie to crack if you can master this. Everyone will tell you including your project manager with 20 years of experience that this is the toughest to achieve. This will differentiate the ready from the naïve. Pressure, conflicts, internal politics, work load, more responsibility, deadlines, miscalculations- nothing can wash of the calm from your face. Think deeply, find your strengths and weaknesses and work extra hours to know yourself. What triggers you and what you can do to stop reacting immediately? For me personally, I have tried to stretch out my reaction time. If I am mad, I write the email and let it sleep over night. I come back next morning and read the email over and over again , edit it and in some cases even delete it. Dont burn bridges, world's too small. Like one of my favorite professor told me- learn to keep a poker face, thats what my professor told me.

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Are You New to Project Management?

Ladies and Gentlemen- I'm honored to present before you the first guest blogger of steppingintopm- Josh Nankivel from pmstudent

I received an email from someone the other day who is very interested in becoming a project manager. She doesn’t have any experience in the field yet, and wanted some advice on how to proceed. She assumed that the PMP exam is what she should be looking into getting.

She mentioned that she is saving up for a training camp that claims they can train her to pass the PMP exam without project experience. I want to thank her for writing to me and taking action towards her career goals!

Unfortunately, that training camp is engaging in unethical practices. If they are condoning that people take the PMP exam without any work experience as a project manager, that really burns me!

Becoming a Project Manager

For those who would like to get started in project management the RIGHT way, here are a few suggestions:

I’ve said this before, but when it comes to project management, general management, and many other careers you just need to go get some experience. Get on a project team somehow and find someone who is doing what you want to get into. Ask them to mentor you. Do odd jobs for them, things they find tedious but that you will learn from. Go above and beyond and tap into the veterans. You will be surprised how quickly a great attitude and passion can open doors for progressively greater levels of responsibility.

If you have no experience yet, the PMP certification is NOT for you. Neither are the IPMA certifications. The lowest-level IMPA certification requires “2 FTE years working on projects or 6 months and BA/BS” experience. The PMP requires 3 of experience with a BA/BS, or 5 without. I interpret “leads and directs project teams” as experience as an actual project manager.

A great way to get some formal education and an introductory certification is to go for the CAPM exam. The minimum requirements for this exam are 23 contact hours of project management education OR 1,500 hours where you “contribute to a project team”.

If you do seek education in project management, I would like to add that it’s value is greatly diminished unless you are actively working in a project environment where you can implement the concepts you are learning, or at least use a real project environment as a means for comparing “book learning” to real life.

Get more advice for new project managers.

I hope that helps if you are wanting to break into project management. Any more advice from veterans out there who are reading this? (Besides “run away! What are you thinking?!? It’s hell in here!!!!)

Photo by squant via Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons for commercial work

Josh Nankivel, PMP

is the founder of pmStudent.com, a site dedicated to helping new and aspiring project managers succeed. He is a project manager for the ground system of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, a joint project between the USGS and NASA. Josh's academic background includes a BS in Project Management and he is PMP certified.