At what point do you become a Professional Project Manager? I started wondering this in a meeting with a client. We were talking about different people in their organization.
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What is a Professional Project Manager?
Let’s start with an easier question…
What is Professionalism?
Professionalism is easy to define. It’s a set of behaviors:
- consistent
- ethical
- thorough
- expert
- diligent
Anyone can conduct themselves this way. You don’t have to be a project professional. And it’s also true that a committed professional can lack professionalism in how they act.
So, I return to the question…
The conclusion I have come to is that we become a professional when we make a choice. We choose the mindset of a professional.
Professional Project Manager Mindset
There are many things that distinguish the professional mindset from that of an amateur. I want to focus on three of them.
Learning and Mastery
An amateur mindset is to get ‘good enough’ at what you are doing. Good enough to succeed, to impress, to enjoy.
No professional would ever settle for that. For you, mastery is a learning process, not an end-point. Professionals seek out feedback to learn from and see setbacks as steps along the path. They commit to reviewing their actions and constantly honing their craft.
Deeper Thinking
It’s easy to look at the surface of things. We believe today’s events have a clear meaning. But a professional looks below the surface to see the deep underlying webs of complexity. They see simple cause-and-effect chains as an illusion in all but a few cases.
Amateurs are quick to take credit for successes. But, professionals understand the interaction of preparation and fortune. They aren’t just smart; they are wise too.
And, looking forward, they want something more than being right. They focus on long-term end outcomes.
Long View
This long view informs all of a professional’s thinking. They have learned patience and care little for blame. They build infrastructure and capabilities, so everyone and everything around them gets better, every day.
And, if there’s a setback, they address it. And then they get straight back to building, where an amateur would lose heart.
None of these Professional Project Manager Choices is an Easy One
However, if you plan to commit to a long-term career – in Project Management or in anything else – they are pivotal. They will start you on a journey that has no end. And that, in essence, is the mindset of a professional.
Are you ready to start that journey?
Are you ready to commit to becoming a Professional Project Manager?
Recommended Videos
Carefully curated video recommendations for you:
- What’s the Next Step in Your Project Management Career? (Ikigai)
- Are You on Track with Your Project Management Career?
- Keep Learning: How to Reach and Stay at the Top of Your Profession
- What Did You Learn? Purposeful Reflection
- Don’t Get Fired: The Secret to Not Getting Fired
- Project Management and Grit
- Getting the Best Value from Experience (and the Myth of 10,000 hours)
- Top 12 Non-Technical Skills that a Project Manager Needs
Bite Size Videos on our YouTube Channel
- How To be Perfect… | Bite Sized Project Management Thought from Winston Churchill
- Spontaneous Combustion | Bite Sized Project Management Thought from Fred Shero
- Success usually comes to… | Bite Sized Project Management Thought from Henry David Thoreau
What Kit does a Project Manager Need?
I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own.
Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs
Note that the links are affiliated.
Learn Still More
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For more of our videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management.
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