Continuous learning in today’s rapidly changing world is a key element of successful careers. As we have moved from an industrial to an information society, the emphasis changed from the mass production of goods to the creation, acquisition, and dissemination of knowledge. With all the technological advancements we’ve seen in recent decades, what’s considered a standard or is universally known today may be replaced tomorrow with a new concept or technique. In order to stay current and employable in this constantly changing environment, one must embrace a lifelong learning mindset. This mindset helps one to continuously improve oneself, maximizing their potential and helping them to navigate challenges and opportunities that come their way. And project management skills are not any different!
Individuals who embrace a continuous learning mindset have a significant competitive advantage over their peers who do not commit to improving their skillsets consistently. Continuously learning causes compound knowledge to accrue to the learner. The knowledge gained is applied and then repeated over and over again, giving the person an asymmetrical advantage over their colleagues and competitors. The results of this are more promotions, bonuses, and career opportunities.
So, how do we do this when so many of us are already busy with our professional and personal responsibilities? That’s the quandary, isn’t it? It can be incredibly challenging to keep up to date with technological advancements and improve one’s skills while managing all our other duties.
- Our PM Core™ – Project Management Training for Business helps organizations develop their teammates into practitioners who can deliver measurable returns
An Example of Mastering Key Project Management Skills
Let’s use the example of Servant Leadership. Here are a few suggestions on how you would get started if your goal was to improve your leadership skills and project management competencies, specific to servant leadership:
Set realistic goals
If you are currently in a high-stress, labor-intensive job and raising a family at home, committing to 2-hours a day of continuous learning may set you up for failure. Instead, be honest with yourself about what is possible. Maybe 15 minutes each weekday and one hour on Saturday morning is a better plan for you. Only you can answer the question of how much time you have to devote to this process.
Reflect on your personal preferences
Do you enjoy podcasts, or do you prefer more formal computer learning? Would you be better suited to virtual training, or do you need in-person experience? Do you need a coach or accountability buddy? How you learn best and which methods you prefer should help to guide you in choosing the provider and methods that best suit you.
Choose relevant materials
Are there published authors you respect who excel at Servant Leadership? What about specific companies? Can you research through some trusted sources (Harvard Business Review, McKinsey, Gallup, etc.) which approaches and leaders you’d like to emulate? Take some time to consider the specific ways in which you’d like to grow and research the available materials that fit your preferences and lifestyle.
Get started!
Reflect
Now that you’ve gotten started, how is it going? Did you over or underestimate your availability? Do you enjoy the format you chose? Are you sticking to your plan of how much time you’ll devote? Should you change or expand your focus to include other materials or topics? The answers to these questions can help you to decide how you’d like to proceed. If it’s not working for you, mix it up and try a different approach.
Be gentle with yourself
If you find it difficult to get started on this journey, know you are not alone. Adding an additional activity to our already busy lives can be challenging. When you miss your mark for a day, shake it off and start anew the next day. Remember, this is a lifelong process! One day will make little difference in your overall learning, but creating a habit of prioritizing personal and professional improvement can contribute to growth and development that will serve you well over your life, both personally and professionally.
Celebrate your successes
And give yourself well-deserved kudos when you have developed the habit of continuous learning.
- Read more about which skills leaders should possess.
- See the signs of poor project management.
Earn Project Management Skills with Master of Project Academy
Here at Master of Project Academy, we are committed to continuous learning. We are consistently looking for ways to help you in your professional and personal growth and we understand the challenges that you experience as you move along this path. Because of this, we are continuously updating our offerings in order to best serve you.
Master of Project Academy is launching a learning service that will provide subscribers with access to hundreds of offerings that give you access to the information and knowledge you need to grow your career, your business, and your personal development. We will launch our newest offering, Master of Project Academy Sandbox this fall.
This exciting new project management training service offers short practical courses, career spotlights, and deep dives into new technologies and how they impact project management. Additional offerings include biweekly office-hour video calls that provide educational content and access to our skilled educators. The service provides access to detailed, realistic case studies that explore the application of project concepts, challenges, and opportunities to help to challenge and hone your problem-solving skills.
Our large offering of content is designed to provide our students and learners with practical skills to help them accomplish their life goals using our project management framework and case studies. Within our materials, we explore project management concepts in many different industries.
Gain Competencies in Project Management
Our newest offering is designed to provide you with key skills and competencies that are necessary for effective project management. These key skills for effective project management include:
- Project Management,
- Product Management,
- Digital Literacy,
- Budgeting,
- Financial forecasting,
- Communication (verbal and written),
- Collaboration,
- Agility,
- Resilience,
- Problem-Solving / Critical Thinking,
- Leadership,
- Emotional Intelligence,
- Innovation,
- Business Case Development,
- Stakeholder Management,
- Conflict Management and Resolution,
- Requirements Development,
- Time Management,
- Adaptability.
Specific topics include moving from:
- Manager to Leader,
- Using Emotional Intelligence in leadership,
- Boosting Job Interviewing Skills,
- Managing Personal Finances,
- Tips to avoid test anxiety,
- Navigating the Path to the C-Suite,
- Using Chat GPT to make your resume stand out
And so much more! Our leadership and project management experts are hard at work creating the content and tools you need to improve your project management skills.
Stay tuned for more announcements and information as we approach our launch date. We are excited to share this with you and help you on your continuous learning journey.
- If your organization needs assistance with leadership training and education, Master of Project Academy’s Leadership Program can also help. For additional information, click HERE.