Most people looking for a change in their job profile aren't sure, if the role of a Project Manager is something for them.
It is a
demanding job and to be successful at it you will need to develop a set of
required skills. So how do you know this role is for you? Is there an
assessment that allows you to find out if you have the required traits?
Yes. It
turns out there are some good tools out there.
Dr. Harrison
of Harrison Assessments says “For most jobs, suitability factors are about
50% of the job success factors. Therefore, effectively measuring suitability is
an essential part of assessment”. Unlike most behavioral research which examines the norms or
average traits for people in the job, the Harrison research focuses on the
traits that differentiate the high performers from the low performers.
So, can
everyone be a Project Manager? Can you?
There are no
rights and wrongs here. There is no way I’ll tell you that if you have set your
mind and heart to it- you cannot do it. Project Management is such a vast
domain, enough for anyone who puts their mind into it. From the very creative
to the methodical you are all welcome.
If you are
willing to spend $75 (USD) and take the test, you can email directly at pmreports1@gmail.com to request for an assessment.
Another way
of knowing more about your compatibility with the profession is by taking the
Myers-Brigs test by clicking here .
Based on the study Project Teamwork, Personality Profiles and
the Population at Large: Do we have enough of the right kind of people? ;
an observation has been made and conclusion drawn based on your MBTI
category (see figure)
According to
this study there are certain groups of people who are considered more suitable
for the role of a Project Managers job based on their personality type. Once
you know your personality type by taking the MBTI assessment, you can find
yourself in the figure above.
As displayed
by the colors, the personality types marked in “green” are the ones best suited
for the job like the INTJ, ISTJ, ESTJ and ENTJ.
Don’t be
disheartened, if you are not in the right group as there are always exceptions
to rules and you can always develop the skill or traits you need to be
successful Project Manager. Also, trust me when I say this, there are very few
Project Manager’s who will take this test and give up on their careers if they
don’t fall into the right category.
The third
route is to find a mentor, someone who is ready to guide you and take you under
their wing. It is essential to look for someone who has enough experience in
the field, understands what you expect from your profession, makes you
comfortable to discuss failures and is equally happy to rejoice in your successes.
Having a mentor makes all the difference in the world.
This is an excerpt from the book Stepping into Project Management (Welcome to the #PMOT Circle). To buy click here.