Exit strategy from Elizabeth

I read this few days ago and really liked it. Elizabeth as always is a fabulous writer, very catchy and her writings are injected with information.

If you are thinking of changing your job, this might be handy.

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.

(Pic Courtesy)

The Red Diary

While I have been running around for the last few days for some work (one of the reasons I haven’t been able to blog much), there’s something new I recently started.

It’s the Red Diary.

It’s really red and in China considered an auspicious color. A gift that was completely sidelined for long. It was stacked away with my folders and bunch of papers; waiting to be used for something special.

Then it just happened.

This weekend I bought a couple of good reads- Cold Steel by Tim Bouquet and Byron Ousey- the book about steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittals battle with Arcellor and The Making of Barrack Obama by Richard Wolffe.

Cold Steel is a gripping read, the hugeness of which can lead to sleepless nights thinking about the force behind it, the power of the strategies and most importantly the urge to do something on such a huge scale can blow your sleep to a thousand glittering stars.

That’s what happened.

Sometimes a powerful thought will come to you that you want to hold on to. That’s what you do with your Red Diary.

It’s the diary of your dream that you will need to reach your goals. It’s the awestruck moment captured in words, mesmerized by innovation and ideas. This is your true raw essence of thoughts, uncensored and the pure you in the most inspirational of moments captured.

(Pic Courtesy)

20 Random Facts About Me

Just wanted to have some fun today and Thought about letting you know some facts about me.

• My first name- isn’t Soma, its Somashree
• My first childhood ambition- was to be a teacher
• I have never been drunk in my life
• I have double Masters’ degree- in English Literature and Mass Communication
• My one wish I always come back to but never happens- Write a novel
• I crave French fries when I am sad or happy
• I’m a self converted “almost” vegetarian for the last few months (I still eat fish and once in a while meat quite a turn around from the carnivore that I was!)
• When I was in college, I tried almost every single hair cut from a catalogue at the local hair salon till they told me I had to grow my hair to an extent to try another!
• I love action movies, my favorite- Die Hard
• If I had all the money in the world, I would only travel.
• Surprises- Good ones of course I adore
• My wallet is a storehouse of my favorite quotations handwritten and printed and a Sears Tower imprint on a dime.
• I always pack lunch for work
• I love fresh flowers, specially white- it’s my pick me up
• I usually research the restaurant that I want to eat at- I look for reviews, recommendations from friends, pictures, menu, specialty etc.
• I used to collect pens in all colors and styles. I gave that up because I don’t write as much now (with pen and paper that is).
• I had my turning points in life when I read English August by Upmanyu Chatterjee at 19 and Sylvia Plath’s Bell Jar at 22 (both are novels).
• My best friend is far from the corporate life I live everyday, has an adorable kid and outwits me every time.
• Last book I read was “First Things First” by Stephen Covey and “Meditation” by …cant remember the name, check back if you want the details.
• My office purse is a black colored slightly oversized bag with must haves- pen, white notepad, 2 lipsticks (from Maybelline and Revlon), lip gloss from Body Shop, brown leather wallet, cell phone, a book, keys, a hair clip, comb, pen drive, chap stick.

Completely out of the loop, thought it was really cool Maven Training telling me that the blog post was inspired by me. Thank you very much and am honored.

(Pic Courtesy)

PMBOK- 4 edition and more

Care to know how to get 250 Project Management Books free?

If you are a PMI member, follow right here.

If you haven't bought the PMBOK 4 th edition yet, you can download it now from the PMI site- thats what I am doing now. The download is password protected and the password is your PMI password- simple!

To read on how a PMI membership can benefit you, read here.

What should a wanna-be PM do all day?

• Enter office- always on time. You want be noticed for your punctuality. Caught in traffic- call office and inform you will be 4 minutes late and is caught in traffic amidst say Michigan Avenue and State St.

Your boss or HR knows that you are specific, so chances are you are not faking it.

• Check email and plan your day- almost before anyone starts working, now you always have a head start. If you can utilize this everyday, you don’t have to stress out at 5pm

Time management is your asset, very important if you want to prove/display your skills at it and not be the one who gets spotted at the water cooler everyday.

• Get your to-do list according to the priority of delivery- you will never miss a deadline. Follow up with your team, co-workers if your delivery is dependant on someone else just to make sure they are aware of the deadline too.

On time delivery is taking the lift for the PM's office instead of the staircase. Everyone wants it on time.

• Work efficiently and learn something new as often as possible- everyone likes a perfectionist, closer the better. New skills gives you the edge and the fact that want to grow and spend your personal time and energy to acquire skills that you can use in your job environment.

Sure shot way to be noticed, can’t be missed.

• Keep your desk organized- its helps you unclutter yourself psychologically and keep the pressure off since you are not fumbling for that piece of paper you left at your desk three weeks ago.

Organized behavior is necessary for being a project manager.

• Protect your team- no questions about it. Trust can’t breed if allow them (team) to take the hit every time. However, keep the rotten apple close to you. If you can’t discard it make sure it doesn’t spread to others.

Team handling needed to get up on the charts. Responsibility is required, blaming others for work not done when you haven’t followed up or bothered reviewing is not the solution.

• Encourage others to grow- If they grow, you grow automatically. Train them to handle more responsibility, be in control, acquire better work habits and discourage slackers from taking everything for granted.

Thinking about the interest for your company and the money of your stakeholders bring in good reviews and is ethical.

• Never leave while your team is working- Don’t leave early if your teams on the deadline and working late hours. Being with your team is important, if you can’t buy them a pack of chips or burger at least being there is showing support and being together no matter what.

Your team will thank you for it and appreciate it. Next time you ask a favor, guess who’ll be there?

• Homework- Being in the comforts of your home doesn’t mean your jobs done. Work on how you can solve the pending problem or think about creative ways to allow someone else to get a second chance.

You will be more prepared for tomorrow and your planning and implementing new ideas will be recognized. Your team and management will know you appreciate your job and is looking at it as a long term stint.

Interview with Joelle Godfrey

I met Joelle A. Godfrey through Twitter, she tweets about Project Management and following her is enough to learn about the basics of project management and then dive deeper into the intricacies.

She is a Project Management Professional specializing in Risk Management and helps companies reach their market delivery dates on time and minimize operation costs by focusing on risk management and continuous improvement.

She graduated from Princeton University where she earned her Bachelors degree in English, later earning a Masters in Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management. A member of the Project Management Institute from which she received her Project Management Professional Certification in 2002. She was certified a Motorola Six Sigma Green Belt in 2006.You can see her website here and follow her in Twitter as well.

Joelle thank you very much for taking the time out for the interview.

How did you decide to become a project manager? Is it something you always wanted to be?

I started my career as a technical writer and transitioned into web development. At the time, I was fortunate to work with someone who recommended that I look into Project Management and gave me the opportunity to work on a Y2K project for the department. Later he recommended me for a role at Motorola.

What has been the most fulfilling experience you have had as a project manager?

I enjoy putting together a plan, working with people from each cross-functional team to ensure that we have covered critical areas of risk and identified risks we need to track. I also enjoy executing on the plan and passing milestones.

I read a lot about Japan in your twitter account, it seems you have stayed there for some time.

Actually, I’ve never been to Japan. I started studying Japanese a year ago and I’ve wanted to go there ever since. My goal is to travel there as soon as I find another job and get back into the flow of working full-time.

Do you still remember your first day as a PM, were you nervous....how was it?

I have a horrible memory. I don’t recall what my first day was like, but if I could look back, I would tell myself to ask more questions.

In todays market, what would be the best strategy to become a project manager


I don’t know. It depends on where you’re starting from. I recommend building up your skillset by getting a project management certificate and asking your manager for an opportunity to support a PM on another project. 


Any recommendation on books you should read or tweets you should follow?

If I run into someone who tweets on Project Management I follow them. Search twitter for the #pmot hashtag and start there.
Right now I’d recommend: Right Brain Project Management by B. Michael Aucoin, Radical Project Management by Robb Thomsett and Re-inventing Project Management by Aaron J. Shenhar and Dov Dvir. All excellent books that I recommend you keep in your library for future reference.

Coming from a background in English Literature, was it hard transitioning into a technical field? What would you suggest to those coming from non technical background who want to work as project managers?

I don't think having a liberal arts background is a disadvantage - I think it helped me be flexible and continue to change to meet the demands of my career. That's what I would recommend to others who don't have a technical degree: continue to grow. If you need to pick up more traditional technical certifications to be more marketable - do so.

Thank you.

(Pic courtesy)

Are you from London?

If you are trying to learn up new things and stay in and around London, you should follow Maven Training's blog along with PM4Girls

While they talk about the latest happenings in the world of project management for all of us to read, you also get to know about the next seminar and workshops and everything thats happening in the city!

To know more about the latest launch of PRINCE 2: 2009 click here.

(Pic Courtesy)

What you didnt know about blogging

That it takes a lot of consistency to blog.

Writing is the easiest part of it. You have started blogging because you like writing and the topic you talk about.

Writing 2-3 times a week for years is not easy. At some point you might feel not so inspired because you are not getting feedbacks from readers or well wishers and you still have to continue.

It's hard reaching out to the core group of bloggers writing on the same topic. You are working on your blog every single day and no one is reading it. How maddening would that be?

Before starting out you should know: If you started your blog with a target or are you simply writing for the love of it on topics ranging from your first car to your first job?

Who are your visitors? What do they want from your blog?

Blogging is fun but doing it day after day will take zeal, new ideas, killing procastination and waking up to the fact that your voice can reach millions for real!

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.