CATEGORY | Modern Work Habits

Writing Skills For Project Managers - These 6 Are Essential For Success
Project Management

Writing Skills For Project Managers: These 6 Are Essential For Success

When one imagines a Project Manager, they may picture a person meeting with team mates, reviewing reports or giving presentations. While Project Managers do all of these things, there’s one task that nearly every P.M. spends quite a bit of time on, especially these days: writing. Whether it be writing letters or responding to endless emails, a significant portion of a Project Managers’ performance is underpinned by their ability to write. For many Project Managers (myself included), it takes years of time and experience to finely hone their writing skills. While the best way to get better at writing is to simply spend time doing it, there are many easy ways to improve writing abilities too; many of them are more about what not to do than anything else! Let’s talk about 6 essential writing skills for Project Managers that I’ve picked up over the years. Note that some of these tips aren’t necessarily about writing per se, but rather the intent and strategy behind why you should sometimes write a certain way. Let’s go!

CONTINUE READING»
For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs - 5 Tips From Experience
Career Planning

For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs: 5 Tips From Experience

As we all know, project management is an exciting and dynamic field. There are plenty of ways we can challenge ourselves and continue to grow year after year. These are the aspects of project management that most of us love. As we gain experience, we learn a wide variety of skills in leadership, budgeting, scheduling, organization and more. If we can manage a decent-sized project, how much harder can it be to work for ourselves? After working as a Project Manager for awhile, you may begin to crave a challenge beyond what your typical position or company may offer. Perhaps you want to create a business from the ground up. Maybe you crave the ability to make your own schedule, or no longer answer to a boss. For many different reasons, there’s a growing percentage of working professionals who decide not to pursue their current career path anymore, and instead pursue the road less traveled…the path of the entrepreneur. Cue the dramatic music. There’s plenty of reasons why being ‘your own boss’ is great, but there are plenty of reasons one shouldn’t just dive in without preparation, either. I know because I’ve done it! At least to a certain extent. While I was prepared in some ways, there are several things I wish I understood much earlier – that’s what this article is about. For the project managers becoming entrepreneurs out there, let’s go over 5 tips based on my own experience, plus a little detail as to why I became an entrepreneur after thirteen years in construction management.

CONTINUE READING»
Working Remotely As A Project Manager - How To Manage A Remote Team
Project Management

Working Remotely As A Project Manager: How To Manage A Remote Team

Working remotely, whether it be from home or a hotel room, has become more common with each passing year. It makes sense. Business owners can save money by having less office space and employees spend less time getting to and from work. Technology makes working remotely easier than ever. When this is combined with the “new normal” we’re experiencing thanks to the Coronavirus (aka COVID-19), working remotely has become mandatory in many cases. What about working remotely as a Project Manager? Is it possible? In this article, we’ll talk about the intricacies of managing a remote team as a Project Manager.

CONTINUE READING»
How Project Managers Waste Their Time - Avoid Doing These 13 Things
Project Management

How Project Managers Waste Their Time: Avoid Doing These 13 Things!

Time is money, they say, but it’s not entirely true. While I understand the intent behind this expression, there is a gaping hole in the theory. Time is worth MUCH more than money for the majority of us. Time is the only resource we can’t buy any more of. We all get the same amount of hours in each day, but none of us can ever get time back. The positive response to all of this? Make the best use of your time as you possibly can! This goes for work and personal life alike. As far as work is concerned, let’s talk about how Project Managers waste their time. If you’re looking to make the most of your time at work, avoid doing these 13 things!

CONTINUE READING»
Do We Really Need To Work 8 Hours A Day? The Truth On Full-Time Jobs
Career Planning

Do We Really Need To Work 8 Hours A Day? The Truth On Full-Time Jobs

The 40-hour workweek is the hallmark of full-time employment in many countries. Five days per week, eight hours per day with weekends off. This experience has been so well-engrained in our society that many of us never question it. After all, we want to be hard workers. We want a ‘real job’. If we don’t work an eight hour day, some of us think we didn’t work hard enough. The answer? It depends. What are we doing during that time? How much effort are we putting in? How efficient are we working? All of these questions lead us to an even bigger question – do we really need to work 8 hours a day? Today, we’re exploring the truth about full-time employment.

CONTINUE READING»
7 Simple, Effective Ways To Get Ahead As A Project Manager
Project Management

7 Simple, Effective Ways To Get Ahead As A Project Manager

We talk a lot on this website about whether Project Managers are born or made, and we always arrive at the same answer – there’s elements of both in the best P.Ms out there. That being said, the most polar opposites of ‘born’ Project Managers out there can still boost their skill levels tremendously through learning and experiences. Said another way – there’s a strong possibility of success for even the most unnatural P.Ms. In this article, we’ll be exploring 7 simple, effective ways to get ahead as a Project Manager! Let’s dive in.

CONTINUE READING»
Going To The Office On The Weekend - 5 Situations When It's Beneficial
Project Management

Going To The Office On The Weekend: 5 Situations When It’s Beneficial

Let’s be real here – nobody wants to work on the weekends. Weekends are supposed to be the time where you spend time on anything BUT work. Most of us don’t even want to think about work during the weekend, let alone go to the dreaded office. In modern times, though, we’re juggling more and more on a daily basis. Our personal and work lives are merging more than ever. Most of us work more on average than we did in the past, too! In this article, we’re discussing going to the office on the weekend, and 5 situations when it’s beneficial. Let’s dive in.

CONTINUE READING»
10 Email Sins At Work To Avoid At All Costs! Do These Sound Familiar?
Project Manager Soft Skills

Email Etiquette In The Workplace: 10 Email Sins To Avoid At All Costs!

Emails are thoroughly engrained in the work culture of our modern society. On average, Americans spend several hours of their day on work-related email activities! That’s an incredible amount of time when you consider that email barely existed at work 25 years ago. Make no mistake – email is incredibly useful. The rate at which information is exchanged is unreal. With this great power comes great responsibility, though. Many people wield the power of email with reckless abandon, wreaking havoc in its’ path. In all seriousness, we’re talking about 10 email sins at work to avoid at all costs! Do any of these sound familiar?

CONTINUE READING»
How To Have A Life Outside Of Work - Our Top 10 Tips
Workplace Experiences

How To Have A Life Outside Of Work: Give These 10 Tips A Try

Burning out sucks. No one likes to work, work, work with no reprieve. As the famous line says, ‘all work in no play makes _____ a dull _____’. At the same time, it’s not the responsibility of our employer to give us a life outside of work, either. We need to do that for ourselves. Don’t feel like you have the time? Too tired? This article is for you! Today, we’re discussing how to have a life outside of work, along with 10 tips you can start using right away!

CONTINUE READING»
How To Not Be Annoying At Work - A Few Things To Keep In Mind
Workplace Experiences

How To Not Be Annoying At Work: A Few Things To Keep In Mind

The hustle, the deadlines, the frustrations…work is difficult enough as it is. When we add an annoying coworker to the mix, though, our work lives can become too much to bear. Nobody likes an annoying coworker, and they have the ability to bring down the entire operation if left to their own devices. Let’s not be hypocrites – judgement of others is easy, but introspection is not. If we expect peace and serenity while working, we must also make sure that we don’t become that annoying coworker ourselves! In this article, we’re talking about how to not be annoying at work, along with a few tips to keep in mind.

CONTINUE READING»