Standing Out From The Crowd

As more and more people are attracted to project management as a career choice, it's important to develop the soft skills that will separate you from a sea of candidates. If you are seeking a project management position, or looking to be promoted in your current PM job, here are some hard to beat qualities that will position you as a seasoned professional.

Courage - Believe it or not, courage is something that will push you further ahead as a Project Manager. Being able to handle any project, no matter what the complexity; being able to service any client, regardless of their tough reputation - this strength of character is refreshing to an employer who needs a fail-safe Project Manager on their team. This courage can truly only come from one source, which is confidence. Believe in yourself without being arrogant and you will exude competency and bravery. This attitude will foster a higher level of trust from your employer and your colleagues.

Finesse - I've discussed this elusive quality before, and while it may be difficult to define, it is absolutely real. By finesse, I mean an ability to deal with everyone you encounter in your job. This may include a harsh client or an unmotivated resource - regardless of who you are interacting with, there is a way to develop a positive and fruitful professional relationship with each and every person. Try to understand what motivates the people you work with - appeal to their priorities and you will create an immediate connection by understanding their needs.

Reliability - As a Project Manager, your very reputation lies in your ability to be consistently reliable. Always follow through on a promise, never forget a deliverable, constantly suggest solutions and forever respond to client calls and email messages in a timely manner. A Project Manager who can be depended upon will be one who is trusted, favoured and even requested from project to project. Aside from credibility with your clients, your employer will see you as competent, responsible and even authoritative.

These attributes can be developed and improved upon by every Project Manager, regardless of rank. In a client service role, such as project management, soft skills are just as important as education and industry knowledge. Demonstrating these skills in an interview will also give you an edge over your competitors. Never lose focus on these core attributes - they will carry you through difficult times, and more importantly, they will give you prominence and memorability in the minds of employers and clients alike.

The CMS Debate - How to Counsel Your Clients - Part 1

At one point or another, every interactive Project Manager will be asked if implementing a Content Management System (CMS) is a good idea. For those who aren't familiar with the terminology, a CMS is just what the name suggests - an application that allows the content of a website (including images and sometimes even navigation) to be added, updated or removed using an interface which doesn't usually require any HTML or technical knowledge. The common objective of implementing a CMS is generally self-sufficiency on the client's end, as well as decreased external maintenance costs. The response to the question regarding a CMS has to carefully weigh many factors. Two primary considerations are broken out below. This entry will be continued with more considerations tomorrow.

Budget: A simple approach to determining whether a CMS is a viable solution is cost. Typically, a CMS implementation will represent a greater up-front cost, which should be off-set by reduced external maintenance costs long-term. It's important to note that although the client may save on vendor fees, the internal time which will now be allocated to website updates still represents an investment, and potentially a drain on resources as well.

Speed to launch: The CMS market is saturated with product options. Each product will vary, and an exhaustive (and often daunting) audit will be required to identify the appropriate solution. Factors such as up-front and ongoing costs, technology constraints, usability, product support and even language capabilities all need to be considered. Narrowing your search to meet the criteria can take many weeks, and securing stakeholder approval on a final decision before purchase needs to be factored into your timeline as well. In addition to the CMS selection process, there may also be a learning curve for the implementation team. Your technical resources, and perhaps even your designers, will need to learn how to develop within the CMS prior to commencing production. When all is said and done, a client's expected timeline may not allow for such a lengthy process leading up to development.

That's enough for now - more on the CMS debate tomorrow...