My Journey To Becoming A Project Management Student
Having worked in the IT industry for several years, in different project environments and under different managers, I had the privilege of experiencing various consequences due to managerial actions and decisions (be it my immediate manager or the higher management). A number of these outcomes had a direct impact on me, while a few affected me indirectly. While some were positive and motivated me others, were negative and pulled me down. In spite of their impact, every experience has taught me a valuable lesson. When I look back now, a smile appears on my face, and I thank everyone for helping me to transform into a better individual. All these factors aided in me realizing the importance of having project management skills (in my personal life and professionally), and the effects of lacking it when working on a project. I resolved to pursue a Project Management course. Wait! Do I need to take a break to pursue this route? Could I not do a course online? Could I purchase a book, clear the exam and project myself as a certified individual? Do I need to take the risk of having a break in my career at this point? These were some of the several thoughts that slid through my mind. I continued to identify and evaluate various options until I found a convincing answer, which I would love to share as we travel further.
A common myth is that Project Management skills are only applicable to the workplace environment. However, we apply these skills in everyday life without realizing this. According to PMBOK® Guide, a project is “a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique project service or result.” Consider the example of shopping as a project. It includes the five process groups as defined in the PMBOK – Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Control and Closing. In the Initiation phase, we determine why we need to go shopping, and if it is feasible. In the planning phase, we identify the list of items required, the location and time of shopping and the mode of transport. We then execute the plan by visiting the selected store destination and then we continue shopping until we have acquired all the required items. We perform monitoring and controlling activities on the products we picked. Are these items listed on our purchase list? What are the available brands? Are there any defects in the products? Is this item within our budget? Finally, in the closing phase, we pay for the goods and collect the receipt. The whole process uses all or a few knowledge areas, as mentioned in the PMBOK. A shopping venture is one of the simplest examples of project management in our daily life.
I also recognized the importance of developing strong communication skills in a project management environment, - not as easily acquired in an online course. A project manager spends around 90% of the project time in communications. What can be a better teacher for becoming a better communicator than the classroom itself? It provides the platform for experimentation and learning. So, finally, after a detailed analysis, I decided to follow my instincts and pursue a full-time Project Management course.
—Sameer Nandan Menda
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