Project management is a complex task. Managing projects effectively requires education and training, but it also requires experience and a proper mindset. While some of this information can only be learned while working in the industry, many project management principles are based in lessons we learn as kids. In this article, we’re exploring some project management examples for kids via the lessons we learn in school. Let’s get started!
1. Remember The ‘Golden Rule’
The first on our list of project management examples for kids is…the ‘golden rule’. That is, treat others as you wish to be treated!
When we’re at work or in school, we wish to be respected and treated equally. We expect people to take us seriously and to work fairly together. If we expect these things, we must also give them.
As a Project Manager, it’s necessary to have a solid working relationship with team members, clients, managers, subcontractors, vendors and more. Project Managers must be able to coordinate the whole show, which requires input from everyone.
In turn, Project Managers must put effort into treating everyone fairly and having a positive relationship with others involved. This is why the ‘golden rule’ is so important for P.M.s.
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2. Life Isn’t Fair!
We can hear our parents saying it now…life isn’t fair! As many have come to realize, they were right all along.
Projects frequently run into problems and issues. As Murphy’s Law states – anything that can go wrong, WILL go wrong. People won’t always do what they’re expected to. Mistakes will be made. Unexpected changes will arise.
It’s important from Project Managers to keep calm in these moments, even though it’s difficult. This is where careful planning ultimately saves the day – when we PLAN for things to go wrong and we know what to do if something does go wrong, the project will not suffer as much.
Life’s not fair…but we can plan for that!
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3. Do Your Homework & Study
If we want to do well in school, we need to do our homework and study before tests. This is a given. This next part may come as a disappointment – homework and studying doesn’t stop when we’re in school.
As Project Managers, we need to make sure that we know as much about our project as possible – what it entails, what’s required, how to sequence it, what to do next, etc. This is OUR responsibility alone – who else is going to step in and do it? If there is someone else who should, we shouldn’t be managing that project.
Instead, we must spend time learning about the project in great detail. We must also be prepared – meetings must be scheduled, a schedule must be developed and surprises must be mitigated.
This means that as Project Managers, we need to go above and beyond our day to day work sometimes in order to be adequately prepared. This does occasionally mean working late or on the weekends in order to keep the project on track. In a nutshell, this is equal to homework.
Just like homework and studying leads us to success in school, preparation and knowledge leads us to success in our projects.
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4. Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
What a corny expression…but so true. Teamwork really does make the ‘dream work’.
Projects are never a one-person band – they must be executed and managed by a team of individuals, each responsible for different parts of the end result.
Without setting goals as a team, how do we know what anyone should be working on?
Without combining and streamlining our efforts, how do we all arrive at a satisfactory end result?
Projects require lots of attention, effort and coordination in order to be successful. As Project Managers, we must ensure that everyone is working together to achieve our shared goals. We need to make sure that teamwork is always emphasized.
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5. Stay Organized
As kids, we’re told to put away our toys. In school, we’re told to keep our desk and assignments organized. As Project Managers, we must make sure that every single document and piece of information is organized on the entire project!
It’s good that we’re encouraged to start young. One of the most important project management lessons for kids is to learn how to be organized, but also to practice staying organized, too.
Here are a few simple tricks to staying organized:
- Take Notes Constantly & Review Them Regularly.
- Keep Things Simple. Take All Of Your Notes In One Notebook. Put All Papers Into Labeled Folders.
- Write Out A To-Do List Every Day.
- Throw Out What You Don’t Need Or Use.
These are just a few of many ways to keep organized. It’s a good idea to think about which ways work well for you!
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6. Tell The Truth!
As Mark Twain says, “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything you said“. Project Managers must mean what they said and do as they say.
There’s a lot of room for errors to occur when managing a project. One of the quickest ways to create disappointment, frustration or confusion is to stray from the truth. Here are a few things to avoid doing in order to serve as an honest Project Manager:
- Not Sharing Bad News To Keep Others Happy
- Lying About When Something Can Or Can’t Happen
- Giving Conflicting Direction – Telling One Person Something Different Than Another
- Making Unrealistic Promises
Honesty is the best policy, in project management and in life.
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7. Live A Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is preached to us from an early age: eat your vegetables, get enough sleep, practice good hygiene, stay active and exercise, minimize stress. Yet, how many adults actually practice this?
Project management is a field that requires longer hours, bursts of intense work effort and stress. It’s easy to get burnt out as Project Managers when we work too much and let the other stuff slide.
Therefore, it’s essential that P.M.s take the time necessary to keep themselves healthy. Not only do we benefit from adequate sleep, healthy food and exercise, but the project benefits, too. We will certainly get less work done while tired and malnourished and we’ll be more likely to get sick and miss even more work.
Living a healthy, balanced life is essential to the success of a Project Manager.
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8. Pay Attention When Others Are Talking
Have you ever been daydreaming, when all of a sudden the teacher calls your name in front of the entire class? Me too. It’s an embarrassing moment for sure, but also a necessary awakening.
As Project Managers, we must go out of our way to pay attention to detail. Everything someone writes, says or does must mesh with the overall project plan – when people start straying from the path they’re supposed to be on, we need to make sure that we correct it. This is only done when we actually listen to (or read) what people say.
We also need to rely on teammates to reach a successful project conclusion (see item 4). With this comes valuing each individual’s input – whether it be them asking a valuable question, alerting us to an issue or proposing a new idea, we can’t let this valuable information slip away.
We therefore must give everyone the attention they deserve – for the project’s sake.
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Project Management Examples For Kids: In Summary
Good news! All of those corny expressions and annoying chores we’re given as kids are actually worth something later in life. As you can see, there are many project management examples for kids that are easy to recognize in day to day life. Most kids understand these points at a very young age – rather than forgetting them, let’s keep them at the forefront of our minds into adulthood and our project management careers. I hope this article has been helpful – thanks for reading!
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