While project management does employ specialized knowledge and strict procedures, it uses key principles that everyone can use, regardless of your industry.
1. No goal, no success.
How can you tell if you’ve achieved success if you haven’t defined what success is? Sales people know this to a T, which is why they work off sales targets and projections. But this applies to any aspect of a business, whether its customer problems solved within a week, bugs squashed in a day, or words written in an afternoon. Keeping your goals measurable and achievable is a great way to track performance while improving morale.
2. You don’t have to know all the answers to lead.
This is one of the biggest secrets of good leadership. Project managers lead teams of highly talented and educated people, with technical knowledge and experience far beyond the norm. Project managers are not there to show you up, or be a threat, or expose your ignorance. They’re there to extend your knowledge base. Knowing where to get answers is just as important as knowing the answers yourself.
