5 Ways Your Project Management Role Could Improve Your Life


By KAKA SULE
A successful project manager is having coffee with his colleagues.When you start out in a project management role you are probably just looking for a decent career. However, our jobs are important in the rest of our lives as well. The good news is that working as a project manager could positively influence the rest of your life if you let it.
Be Happy at Work
The enjoyment you get from your work can make a huge difference in your life. I remember when I worked in a pretty horrible job before moving into the project world. Every day on the way to work I would feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of going in there. Over time a feeling of unhappiness at work will affect your home life as well. I can still remember how I used to get grumpy on Sunday evenings at the thought that the weekend was nearly over and that it was nearly time to go back to the office again. A project manager role might not be ideal for everyone but if it suits you then it could make you happy at work again and therefore happier outside of work. It is an especially attractive job for anyone who wants to break free of the routine of doing the same tasks all the time.
Learn to Make Good Decisions
Decision making is one of the most important things for a project manager, just as it is in life outside of work. If you can learn to make the right decisions and trust your own judgement then this is a skill you will be able to use in any situation. Project managers need to be able to make the right decisions at the right time and it is a habit which you will soon get into once you get going.
Be More Responsible
Leading a project is a demanding type of job and one which requires you to take on a fair degree of responsibility. If you aren’t used to this then it could you a bit of time to get used to it. However, once you accept the extra responsibility which comes with the job then you will realize that being in control of the situation is a good thing. In fact, I have heard it said that feeling that the situation is out of your control is one of the biggest reasons for getting stressed out. This means that if you can learn to take on all of the responsibility which you should do then you can help cut down on the stress you feel.
Trust Others
No project manager is an island and you settle into the role you will soon work out that you can’t control your team all of the time either. Sure you can give them training and guidance but at some point you need to learn to let go and trust the other members of your team. This might not be easy for you at first but it will become easier over time. Of course, it isn’t just in work that you need to learn to trust others. If this is an issue for you in your private life as well then you can begin to see the benefits to be gained from giving other people the space they need to show their qualities.
Be Organized
One of the most important factors for any project manager is around how well they organize their time. You will need to learn to do a lot of different skills and then use the right ones at the right time. Like the other points on this list, it is something which will become natural to you over time. It won’t be so natural at the beginning though, and you may end up with some very difficult days as you realize that you haven’t been well enough organized to do everything which you wanted to do. Over time you should start to control your time better and this will make the job a lot easier for you. Of course, we all want more time to enjoy the things we enjoy outside of work as well. You might want to switch off when you leave the office but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use the skills and techniques you have learned there to help you get more out of your leisure time. If you take the time to organize your time better in the evenings and during the weekends you will find that you can get more done in a more relaxed way.

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