By Veronica Thraen
August 7, 2024
You’ve just landed your first project management gig and are getting ready to kick off a project – congratulations! As a new project manager, I remember being excited but a little nervous at the same time. Would the team respect me even though I am new to the profession? Would they accept my ideas, and would I be able to appropriately convey any concerns or red flags?
There’s a lot to learn with any new job and, of course, you want to start off on the right foot. Here are 5 ways to get up to speed and start building a solid reputation as a project management professional:
1: Focus on your strengths, not weaknesses
The one thing to avoid is misrepresenting a weakness as a strength. For example, a non-technical colleague was assigned to manage a project with software engineers and worked very hard to “speak their language.” Unfortunately, this did not come across very well and had more of a negative impact rather than positive.
While you want to be accepted into the team right away, focusing on other strengths such as leadership, organization, problem solving, and stakeholder management will be more beneficial to the team rather than trying to impress them with your less-than-impressive technical jargon.
2: Ask the team how you can help them succeed
Another way you can help the team is by speaking with them directly – as a group or individually – to get their input on any pain points they’ve experienced in the past that you might be able to resolve going forward.
Have they had difficulty focusing on their work because they are frequently being assigned non-critical tasks? Are project requirements constantly changing? A PM can assist with these types of issues and have a positive influence on the team.
3: Give the team space to complete work
I’ve heard PMs described as “roadblocks to getting work done.” Project teams believe they are just busy scheduling meetings, implementing stringent processes and asking for project status. While it is part of the project manager’s job to help move the project forward, it’s the approach that may be having a negative effect.
Consider choosing the right meeting frequency based on project type, size and complexity. Discuss the frequency and meeting objective with the team so they know what to expect and ensure that it is a valuable use of their time. Also, give the team an opportunity to complete tasks without overzealous follow-up. A bit of trust will go a long way and pay off in the end.
4: Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Sometimes, you may not understand a topic being discussed during a meeting, especially if it’s a technical discussion. It is perfectly ok to ask clarifying questions. If you are still unsure, jot down some notes and discuss them with the team after the meeting to get the clarification you need.
A project manager must be able to effectively communicate any issues to stakeholders and leadership teams, so it’s critical to understand the details provided by the team. Consider scheduling a product or project walk-through with your manager or subject matter expert prior to the kickoff meeting to get a head start.
5: Find creative ways for team collaboration and motivation
Just because you are new does not mean that you don’t have great ideas for improving how work gets done. As the project moves along, document any opportunities that may provide a better way for the team to collaborate and to deliver projects more efficiently.
Bring your ideas to the team and give them the chance to provide feedback. This may spark other ideas and help advance you as a team player rather than someone pushing a process they may not fully agree with.
“Honesty, responsibility, respect and fairness are the values that drive ethical conduct for the project management profession,” according to PMI’s Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct. By keeping these values in mind, along with the 5 tips above, you’ll be on your way to building a top-notch reputation as the team’s “go to” project manager. Good luck!
Veronica Thraen is the Owner and Principal Consultant at Maven Project Management, a technology project management consulting firm in Phoenix, Arizona that helps growing organizations put processes and tools in place to keep projects on track for long-term growth and success. Her leadership advice has been featured by Ellevate Network, The Huffington Post, and Forbes.
