PM Network - June 2016

The Next Level
There’s more than one way to develop professional skills.
By Lindsay Scott

Next, choose which gap areas are the most important to address today and over the coming three years. It makes sense to align your thoughts with what’s important to your current organization. But don’t be afraid to pursue skills that your organization might not see as important. Remember: You’re developing yourself as a project manager—not just as a project manager working for a specific organization.

Take time to understand the PDU model. It’s not all about enrolling in training courses or attending conferences and PMI congresses. You can mix in attendance at chapter meetings, reading books and journals, keeping up with blogs, listening to webinars or podcasts, using online resources like Coursera and Lynda.com, and taking part in web chats such as Twitter’s #PMChat.

As you weigh different professional development
options, consider the three sides of the PMI Talent
Triangle™: technical project management, leader-
ship, and strategic and business management. The
technical development is often the
easiest, mainly because so much
training already has been devel-
oped. Leadership development
primarily is focused on the “softer”
skills of project management, such
as communication, conflict man-
agement, negotiating and leading a
team. For the strategic and business
skills areas, you can opt for learning
that fits your specific industry or the
types of projects you manage. It also
can mean pursuing generic business
skill areas like finance, legal or busi-
ness planning, or earning an MBA.

You also should consider volunteering. It’s a great way to network

Irecently became a PMI member and achieved my Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification. What else should I be doing to develop myself in project management?

Congratulations! Your next step should be planning how to earn professional development units (PDUs) to maintain your status as a Project Management Professional. Start with PMI’s Project Manager Competency Development Framework. This simple assessment will give you a clearer idea of your skill gaps.