Pick up a book, take a class, listen to a CD, but learn something new. Doesn’t matter what it is, or whether it’s connected to your field. Look for the unexpected connections.
Experiment and make mistakes. Explore. Try something unexpected.
Take breaks. Stop and reflect on what you’re doing. The eureka moment comes when least expected.
If you’d rather not read the whole article, here’s what I said:
”
In my experience, there are "natural" project managers in much the same
way that there are natural athletes, musicians, writers, etc. In other
words, some people might start with more natural talent than others, but
if you want to be really good, you have to practice and develop your talent.
Unfortunately, there are so many poor managers out there that someone
who is even marginally skilled looks fantastic.
That said, I've observed that the best project managers have as a common
trait the ability to yield power. It's the ability to give people as
much autonomy as possible while still maintaining a sense of team
cohesion that makes the best project managers. While some people might
do that naturally, almost anyone can learn to do it."
The reporter didn't use the whole quote, but I think he got the point across.
Ever wondered why some teams are a pleasure to work for and others are a royal pain? You can find out on my live radio interview on Leadership and Team Formation.
I was recently invited to contribute some tips on how a business can survive rapid growth (and hopefully thrive along the way!). You can find my response here:
Stephen R. Balzac, "The Business Sensei," is a consultant and professional speaker. He is the president of 7 Steps Ahead, LLC, a consulting firm helping businesses get unstuck and transform problems into opportunities.
