How to Stop Letting Your Coworkers Undermine You
It's probably happened to you more times than you'd care to remember. You're at the top of your game in the office. Your tasks are done, your projects successful. As a result, your quotas and goals have been reached and decimated. But then suddenly, you discover nasty rumors about you brown-nosing a supervisor or supposedly working your way up the ladder using unsavory tactics. Somehow coworkers take any opportunity to undermine your achievements by knocking you down a peg with their comments or actions. And you thought your colleagues were the best mates ever. Australians have an informal phrase to describe this phenomenon —tall poppy syndrome — the disparagement of someone who's risen to a level that's higher than the other poppies in the same field. In other countries, you're more likely to hear expressions such as the familiar, "Stop making the rest of us look bad." Whatever form it takes though, the results are the same: High-performing individuals sometimes have to endure negative backlash — even social undermining — from their peers because of their work ethic. The psychology of social undermining There are many negative social consequences to excellent performance in the workplace. A study in the Journal of Organizational Behaviour defines social undermining as behavior intended to hinder a worker's success, reputation, and positive relationships over time. This behavior might look like: Someone badmouthing your work or reputation Someone competing with you in order to gain status or prominence over you Someone purposely withholding information you need to do work Someone intentionally giving you false information about a task you're doing so you miss a deadline That same study considers social undermining a form of workplace aggression and identifies three main distinguishing factors, namely: This behavior is intentional. It's done on purpose and with a negative goal in mind. This behavior seeks to interfere with work relationships by influencing how coworkers or supervisors view the victim. This behavior assumes that the above negative outcomes will occur. An article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology studying 1,087 recently unemployed respondents shows that those who experienced social undermining in the workplace reported having poorer mental health that manifested itself in feelings of irritation, anxiety, depression, and more. It impacts the worker and their output in a significant manner. In short, it's an attack meant to slow you down and bring you back down to the attacker's level. And its effects are detrimental to a person's psychological well-being and relationships at work. How to deal with undermining behavior So how does a top performer deal with being the target of resentment in the workplace? Or, what advice can we give to "tall poppies" and overachievers alike? Talk to your colleagues Once this undermining starts impeding your output, you should take concrete steps to alter the situation. First off, confront the people talking about you. If you know who they are, have a simple talk with each person one-on-one, and explain that you want the behavior to stop. This is often the most effective way to solve the problem. Report it But if your plea falls on deaf ears, take it up the chain of command. Talk to your manager, your department head, Human Resources, and so on. File a formal complaint with HR stating just the facts. Make it clear you will not accept this behavior. Pack your bags The simplest option is to weigh your pros and cons and figure out whether it's worth the mental aggravation to come in every day and work in a pit of vipers. If your "cons" column weighs heavier, then begin a new job search and find a friendlier workplace. TIP: Read the reviews of your next company on websites such as Glassdoor. Those anonymous reviews typically spill all the beans. Just remember: no company is perfect. Or... ride it out When confronted with a reader's dilemma that sounds exactly like the opening paragraph of this blog post, HR leader and Forbes columnist Liz Ryan shares this nugget: They say that the emotion most likely to follow intense dislike (even loathing) is boredom. Ryan's point is: If you don't let your sniping colleagues have the satisfaction of seeing you hurt and panicking, they'll eventually move on to another target. This is assuming, of course, you choose to stick it out in a toxic work environment where you have to deal with childish treatment from supposedly adult coworkers. And if you're unsure whether your workplace culture is toxic or safe, then rate your current office with the checklist in this piece: 10 Signs Your Workplace is Toxic. Control what you can: Yourself Finally, the age-old adage is true: you can only control your own reaction to a situation. You can't control what other people say about you or your work. If they're catty or passive-aggressive, you can choose to ignore them and refuse to take the bait. If they're hostile, you can choose to walk away. Meanwhile, you continue to do the work you were hired for to the best of your ability. Because doing it any other way (i.e. slacking off and choosing to produce mediocre work) is an insult both to your capabilities as a performer and to your employer's trust in you. Protect your mental health If you find the stress of dealing with toxic colleagues is bleeding into your personal life, it's time to reach out. Talk to a friend or trusted family member. Research the resources your company offers to support mental health. Remind yourself of the skills and expertise you bring to your organization and why you were hired in the first place. You can only do so much Excellence is divisive in an organization where mediocrity rules. Realize that you can only do so much to fit in or to try and change the culture before you yourself are tainted. It's better to find a company where your skills and your drive can be appreciated. And where, instead of worrying about colleagues stabbing you in the back, you work with people who have your back.
How to Develop the Essential Skills to Be a Project Manager
Interested in becoming an even better project manager? Of course you are. This post breaks down some of the most important technical and soft skills for project managers and provides some actionable advice for stepping up your game.
48 Experts Share Their #1 Tip for New Project Managers
In our LinkedIn Project Management 2.0 group (you can join us here!), we asked experienced project managers to divulge their #1 tip for newcomers to the field. Not surprisingly, these process fanatics shared a plethora of great tips to help newcomers succeed in this ever-changing area of work. Interested in what kind of advice they had to improve your project management processes and how to get a project manager job? Read through their project management advice below, and see what you can learn as you walk into your first, second, or even tenth PM role. "I think that all the important tips could be summarized with a metaphor: You should be like an Orchestra Director for your team, with a detailed project plan as score." — Jose Ignacio Bernaldo de Quiros Ochoa Everyone Agrees — Excellent Communication is the #1 Indicator of Success Understand the culture Communication is key, and much of that will be informal, so building your network and understanding culture and dynamics are key. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Be accessible to learn more Always allow people to come to you. Be accessible and listen to what project team members will ask or comment all the time. The more you know, the better you are able to make decisions. Buy knowledge and sell solutions unless you want to pay for project deviations. Fábio Issao Watanabe Communicate to identify changes quickly I think that success depends on communication and focus on the goal. Good communication with the team identifies deviations in a timely manner. Good communication with customers can quickly identify changes in scope. Oscar Teran Keep detailed project notes to share Follow up on tasks and Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Keep detailed notes and make sure everyone on the team is aware of what is happening. Monteau (Montee) Outlaw Discuss challenges, roadblocks, & risks Make sure to be transparent within your core and your extended project team, as well towards your managers, owner, sponsor. Communicate roadblocks, challenges, and risks clearly and in advance for everyone to see. Know and accept: no one cares for, or is as committed to your project as much, as you are/must be. Janos Veres Listen to opinions from everyone, even if you reject them later Keep communication channels open for all stakeholders: the team, the sponsor, the customer, the end user, your boss, etc. I am not saying that you let yourself be manipulated by every party, just try to listen before making decisions. Hear every opinion, then make your route. Mehmet Degirmencioglu Respect every opinion as if it were your own Train communication, create empathy with your stakeholders. Respect and value everybody's opinions, even if you don't completely agree. João Rodrigues Challenge ideas to make them better You are hired to manage projects; your team is hired to be the technical expertise to deliver that project. Therefore, if they are telling you something, it's usually a good idea to take in what they're saying and, in some cases, challenge it. If you're not technical, ask for clarification on points you genuinely don't understand. You can also seek advice from colleagues who are more established as a technical project manager. That's normally enough for technical teams to make them think through their explanations, so they'll carry out an internal check to ensure their thinking is sound. Andrew Hudson Build rapport and trust with clients Build rapport with the client. Build trust and then never lose it. Under promise and over deliver. Plan and communicate. Marc Hammoud Don’t Pretend You Know Everything on Day One Always ask "that question" You may not have the experience needed to do things 100% correct the first time, so keep it real and allow people to give you suggestions. My #1 suggestion to newbies is: Always ask "that question". Finding a balance between asking questions or following up offline is a talent you will learn over time, but for now, don't be shy. You might harm your own project by not speaking up until it becomes a show stopper near implementation time. Speak up and you will find your team is truly on your side! John Skowronski, PMI-ACP, PMP Don't isolate your team with overconfidence Do not think you know everything. I've seen too many project managers take a hard line and push things through because they think they know best. That breeds resentment in the project team. I've seen project managers exert their supposed technical or subject authority on a project, only for that project to ultimately remove those additions at a later and more expensive stage. Andrew Hudson Learn from every experience You don't have to know everything about everything — it's ok to ask questions and learn from each experience. Ann Lynne Dodson To Be the Best, Hone Your Leadership & Management Skills Make sure you motivate and lead your team Soft skills are very important. The people involved make the difference between success and failure. You can have knowledge and methods, but you need skills to motivate and lead. Maarten Verreck Manage your people, not just your documentation Following the PM process and keeping up with all the communication tools like the risk log, issue log, schedule, and deliverables should all take a back seat to leading your team. For years I prided myself in being really good at the documentation side of project management, but it never really mattered that much. The most important skill a project manager must master is Leadership! Larry Sparkman Build a bridge for two-way trust Trust is the biggest thing for me, because if I don't trust my technical team then I'm inherently suspicious of them and vice versa. Building a relationship of trust, and therefore openness, is crucial if you are to deliver multiple successful projects. Andrew Hudson Stay flexible to take on every challenge Keep your knowledge constantly updated, trying to develop new capabilities and remaining flexible in terms of project management methodologies to use, etc. Things can change very rapidly in this field, and as the leader of your team, flexibility and a listening ear are most important to manage the risks and change. Nirmal Singh Delegate wisely and lead by example Learn what you can delegate. Learn who you can delegate to. Lead by example. Work harder than anyone else. Treat everyone you touch with respect and kindness. Lori Galster Train your people to be future leaders It should always be remembered that delegation is not purely about sharing workload. Also it gives the team member a sense of ownership and liability and allows them to learn... Today's team member can be tomorrow's PM. Andy Nelson, AMBCS, P2 Cert Practitioner Think outside the box The key for successful PM is communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. Working smarter and offering solutions. Thinking outside the box and strategically looking at the bigger picture. Kassim Toorawa Protect your team You "Protect" the project team, they do the rest. Onur Karabulut And don't forget to proactively celebrate success! The most important part: celebrate with your team who made it possible! Puneet Gulati, MSP, PMP, ITIL v3 Be the Person Who Keeps Work Organized & Meetings Focused Use templates to stay organized Try to stay as organized as you can, use templates and other tools provided by PMI (you can find them on PMI's website). Bhawna Mundotia, PMP Document! Document! Document! Always keep a track record of the work being done. Pietro Cecere Step up and capture ideas during meetings If you are in a meeting that needs focus because people are talking in circles, step up to the white board or large note pad and start scribing their ideas, requirements, comments, issues, etc. — preferably into actionable categories. Do not speak! Just scribe. If they start to focus on what you are writing, then you can ask them if they want to identify owners for each actionable item. Jerry B. Fisher Learn What Inspires Your New Team, Then Achieve Success Together Know the working culture before you introduce change First understand the work/culture/situation, and then make your moves/changes. PMs always want to do something new and different based on their experiences, which is a good thing, but do it smartly. You can't just jump in and start making changes to the system without understanding it; every company has their own limitations, constraints, and culture. Make changes in such a way that they get absorbed in the right attitude. Santosh Maurya Understand everyone's motivations Learn that project management can be as much about politics as handling projects. Remember that not everyone working on the project is actually for the project. Learn the motivations and intentions of not just your team, but also upwards to the stakeholders and business users. Andy Nelson, AMBCS, P2 Cert Practitioner Build a culture of sharing and innovation to build a strong team Foster a culture where everyone's ideas are heard to allow more innovation to take place. The added bonus is that the project team itself becomes a lot stronger — team members are far more open to suggesting and working through ideas if they know they'll be heard, rather than thinking they'll be shouted down all the time. Andrew Hudson Know the Limitations of Your Project Team — And Yourself Don't forget the human The methodologies are great if well-used, but they won't work if you do not remember that you are working with other people. Human responses are not always logical or predictable. Tiago Prado Know your team's strengths Understand the skill set & mind set of the people that you're going to handle in your team. Prabhu M Leave egos behind Be aware of strengths and limitations in your team and, more importantly, yourself. There is no room for egos. Louie Turcotte, Jr Find what sets you apart Determine your specialization and go for it. The best thing you can do is to decide what sets you apart and make that shine. Remember you are turning concepts into realities and it takes creativity to get you there. Develop thick skin and never fall in love with your first draft, no matter what it is. James L Thompson, PMP, CSM, Executive MBA, ITIL Ask Questions to Understand Current Processes, & Keep Them Simple Ask follow-up questions When someone makes a suggestion, I like to follow up with background questions: When and under what circumstances have you implemented that in the past? Why was that approach successful? What made it more efficient, cost effective, etc.? Then I broaden my scope of understanding. Lori Galster Don't make mountains out of molehills DON'T make a huge mind-numbing deal out of the project. Newbies are generally so eager to implement their knowledge or are so psyched up about being in the shoes of a PM, they generally end up overcomplicating simple things. I have seen "accidental" project managers perform better than those who come to the job armed with the whole pedigree of PM tools, techniques, and strategies. It's better to keep work simple and streamlined so that attention can be devoted to planning, actual implementation, and overall scope and quality control, instead of waiting for the heavens to open up and rain down! Trina Moitra Make progress the priority Do not always look at things from a process perspective. Governance is important, but when it impedes progress then there is an issue. Dave Regan Clarify Everyone's Roles & Responsibilities on Every Project Understand your own role first Clearly understand your role and responsibilities and your delegated authority. This will depend on the type of organization you're operating under. Also understand your key stakeholders and their level of influence. Kassim Toorawa Analyze project heartbeats daily I suggest accidental managers follow the RACI model and analyze project heartbeats daily. R- Who is Responsible to do the work A- Who is Accountable for final decisions and ultimate ownership C- Who is Consulted before a decision or action is taken I- Who is Informed that the decision or action has been taken The RACI model is helpful to define/identify/clarify roles and responsibilities. Once you have those, match them up with processes. It's especially useful in clarifying roles and responsibilities in cross-functional processes. For example, an organization may have a person who performs the role of project manager, and may also perform the role of test manager. Hambirrao Patil Beware of role creep Watch for ROLE creep, which is similar to scope creep in a project. In role creep, your role as a PM might be under constant pressure — from academics, LinkedIn groups, co-workers, and especially those working above you. This is because there are so many forces at work around a substantial project, especially in a non-projectized organization where there is no discipline to comply with standardized and repeatable project management processes. There will be pressure to be innovative, be creative, and be an agent of change, and you will have managers asking you to list all your accomplishments. Your ultimate role is always to deliver what is in the WBS and project plan, use a designated process for scope change, risk monitoring, and issue management, and maintain good communication. Michael Ayres MS, PMP, CISSP, CSEP Make Sure You Have a Full Understanding of the Project Objectives, Assets, & Risks Know the project inside out Understand the project — so the planning, objectives, results that the project wants to achieve, and of course know the monitoring plan: what are the indicators, its tools, etc. Marta Acero Set the goals first Establish the goal and objectives (SMART) of your new project. Once this is done well, I would immediately do the PESTEL analysis and build the SWOT analysis. Then, it's planning, communication, and organization. For your project setup plan, you can also use the What, When, Who, Which, Where, etc. model. Osvaldo Mirante, PhD Understand the project needs Having a clear understanding of both the functional and technical definition/needs of the project upfront, with stakeholder buy-in, is extremely important. Muqtader MBA Make sure the project achieves its original goal Focus on specified project objectives! Muqtader MBA Control the project scope Knowing your exact scope of work very well is the key to controlling the rest. Mohammad Hamdan, PMPⓇ Think about what can outside forces could affect your project — positively or negatively Look for organizational process assets that are available to you. Identify the environmental factors that will influence your projects and how they'll be delivered. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Make work actionable Make sure everything is actionable and responsibilities are assigned and transparent. Henriette Ebbesen Laidlaw Allow time for multiple iterations Plan and drive project activities according to strategic guidelines. Allow the project team a few iterations over viable and plausibly valid alternative solutions. Never be afraid to ask the project owner for clarification or adjustment of target, timeline, resources, or scope. Janos Veres Don't forget to manage potential risks You need to understand the organization's culture to make a roadmap and deliver projects on time and within budget. You should also keep an eye on risks arising during the course of project implementation, with a risk mitigation plan in place. Puneet Gulati, MSP, PMP, ITIL v3 Get Buy-In From Stakeholders Early & Manage Their Expectations Along the Way Identify every stakeholder Identify all stakeholders and develop terms of references. This will align all roles of different individuals in the project and make it easier to relate with them. Lesiba Noah Konaite Sell the project to all necessary parties Involve as many as possible stakeholders at the beginning of a project to gain broader buy-in. Andries Venter, Inclusive Project Manager Hold 1-on-1 project feedback sessions Before kicking off the project, connect with all the key stakeholders in 1-on-1 sessions to get their input on the project, their goals, their level of support, etc. This will uncover hidden "gotchas" and misalignment that may come up later if you don't do this. Tom Treanor Make stakeholders believe in the goal, not just the budget Getting stakeholder buy-in on the outcome and benefit of completing the project is more important than stakeholder acceptance of the scope, schedule, and budget. If decision-makers believe in what the project will achieve, they will be more likely to accept changes to the scope and tolerances if you can show that it will lead to a better outcome. If all you've sold is a budget and a delivery date, you're doomed to failure. Chris Cox Continually manage expectations as the project goes on Manage the stakeholders' expectations within given limits. That would encompass all the necessary requirements such as deliverables, scope, etc. John Mpungu Don't Be Afraid of Failure, Learn From It Fail fast, recover faster Failure is an option. Fail fast so you can recover quickly and learn. Sreekumar Govindan Turn mistakes into learning opportunities Don't be afraid of mistakes — learn from them. They are the building blocks for future success in this challenging and dynamic profession! Susan Kirkpatrick, PMP, CSSBB Deliver what the business actually needs A high percentage of projects fail because they don't deliver what the business needs. Even when you have that nice 400-page requirements document that was signed off on, it does not mean everyone understands what is being delivered. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Ultimate Success Comes From Careful Management, Not Just Careful Planning Manage the problem, not just the Gantt chart Reality drives the schedule, not the other way around. It's not about wrangling Gantt charts, it's about wrangling people and problems. James Radvan Plan to succeed & persevere Every day there is a chance that you will have your back to the wall. Plan to succeed. Coordinate your priorities, delegate to those in your team, and make the project work. Paul Alwood Keep your eye on the overall objectives No one on the business side cares about the Gantt chart or status reports or the PM deliverables. What they are looking for is the capabilities to achieve the business objectives your project will deliver. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP And Remember: Nothing Beats Hands-On Experience You can't fake experience Experience is the most valued ingredient of the perfect PM brew, and that can either come with the salt and pepper of years or from a very competent mentor. There is no way to fake experience. Trina Moitra Expose yourself to real-life situations early on Gain as much experience in project management as you can. Books, theory, and concepts are all fine, but real-life situations are much tougher. The more you face these situations, the smarter you become. There is no better way to learn project management than to expose yourself to real-life situations. Mangal Pandya Rely on your people skills, and push for the success at the end of the project Don't give up. A Project Manager position is not a rewarding job every day. You have to work really hard to get things done (especially in a Matrix environment), so you have to rely on your people skills a lot. (Keep those sharp!) In the end, you will persevere, and when the project finishes successfully, you will love that feeling of success. Bhawna Mundotia, PMP What advice can you share? Understanding the basics of how to start a project management business and how to manage project managers are necessary first steps to take. Have any additional information on how to improve your project management skills? Let's keep the conversation going here! Share your advice and thoughts in the comments below. Tell us what you'd add to this list, or expand upon a piece of advice that really resonated with you. *Note: Some of the above responses have been slightly modified for clarity, grammar, and length.
Getting a Master's Degree in Project Management: To Do or Not To Do
If you run a Google search for "Master's Degree in Project Management" you will get over 3 million results for schools across the US and around the world. Granted, those results are not solely listings for schools offering programs, but still — scary. If you try to narrow down your search results by going to a site like gradschools.com and filtering by "Business & MBA" and "Project Management" tags you will still get 327 results. Better, but not exactly a walk in the park. Finding the right program is a big venture. There are two questions you really need to ask yourself before you go hunting: (1) Is a Master's in Project Management (MPM) what you really want? Would you prefer alternatives routes, such as your MBA or PMP certification? (2) And if you do decide on the MPM, what are your personal requirements when choosing a program? Want a better project management tool that your team will actually use? Start your free Wrike trial today! The Great "Project Management Degree" Debate There are conflicting views about whether getting a Master's degree in Project Management is worth the time and money. According to a US News article, 43% of project managers in the US have only a Bachelor's degree. If you follow The Great Project Management Degree Debate, you'll know there are varied opinions on the value of the degree at all. Some people say get the Master's in Project Management, some people say go for a general MBA, some people suggest alternative certificates (e.g. PMP) instead — and then there are others who say don't bother with any of them since experience beats all degrees. Confused yet? We browsed through forums and articles and tried to gather a consensus on whether or not people in the field think you should get your Master's in Project Management: The Pros & Cons of a Master's in Project Management Pros: 1. Employability "Through teaching an MPM program at a local university for the past five years, I wholly believe that the students that have come through this program are much more employable once they have completed the program." — JD McKenna, Project Manager, USA "I have my Masters of Project Management and this qualification stands out in my CV when applying for great jobs. I know lots of guys with MBAs who are still in lower management positions. A Master's in this great field is definitely sought after and sticks out more than an MBA." — Anonymous, USA "My recommendation falls someplace in the middle. I would recommend that you get a Master's in Project Management [focused on] your field of expertise or interest." — Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, Project Manager, Indonesia 2. More Informed Execution "I am now in a PM role (with certification) and I definitely think the MPM has helped me understand with more clarity why we do things the way we do and has certainly helped communicate [decisions].... The MPM is really interesting. You get to meet a range of other students with other PM experiences that you learn from and it is challenging and I think personally rewarding." — Anonymous "I hold both an MBA and an MPM degree. I disagree that these two degrees are essentially the same. My bottom line answer is: advanced learning never hurts, so go for the degree. It may not guarantee you your next job. But it should definitely help you when it comes to executing in that job." — Dave Violette, Program Manager, USA "For those going through a Master's program who have already had more than a few years of work experience, PMP certification, and specific large or complex project management experiences, the MS in Project Management will likely have far more meaning to employers and ROI to you - not just financial ROI, but the ability to get the most out of curriculum.... A Master's in Project Management would be an excellent addition to the journey." — Mark Price Perry, VP of Customer Care, USA Cons: 1. Experience and Accomplishments Count More "Good project managers become such by practicing and continuous self improvement. Yes, they need to know the theory, but professionalism comes from applying, adapting and improving it. For that reason I don't think one-off long theoretical study is what would bring you to the next level." — Stan Yanakiev, IT Project Manager, Bulgaria "The qualification has not really helped me at all in getting a job, its only in combination with experience (how do you get that initially) or certification.... As a way to further your career, I am not convinced that the MPM has quite the aaahhh factor that we would like as recognition of our efforts." — Anonymous "I would look dubiously on a PM candidate that has a Master's in PM but no experience. Advanced degrees are more meaningful after you have been in the field." — Mark Price Perry, VP of Customer Care, USA "I would value experience over master's level certification. I would recommend that you look at practitioner-based courses as well. You can take PRINCE2 without any prior experience, and it will be cheaper than a Master's." — Elizabeth Harrin, Director of the OTOBOS Group, U.K. "I liken project management to riding a bike, you can read as many books on the subject as you like, but until you get on and actually ride a bike you know only the theory and not the practice.... As a hirer of project managers I look for experience, then certification, and finally qualifications. Even for trainees I look not necessarily for project management experience but they should at least have participated as team members in a project environment as this environment is completely unlike a normal operational environment." — Julie Goff, Australia 2. MBA is More Widely Recognized "Experience and accomplishments count more than a degree in Project Management. So I would recommend that you complete your MBA first. If Project Management is a module that's good, but for a major, choose something like Finance, Marketing, Supply chain Management, or IT Management." — Satnam Bansal, Business Manager, USA "I found that project management courses in universities are normally aimed at the construction industry. So all the work examples were for building something. An MBA is more widely recognised than a PM masters and assures the business people you can understand where they are coming from." — Julie Goff, Australia (again) 3. More Important is a Positive, Strong Character "Allow me to add another attribute which, I believe, is more important than experience and certification. The job of a project manager is very dynamic and will require him to handle all sorts of situations; in other words, a project manager is a problem solver by nature. Due to this, a project manager needs to have a positive and strong character to carry the pressure in his job." — Wai Mun Koo, PMO Director, Singapore Other Factors to Consider When Selecting a Program If you went through a long, strenuous, detailed process when applying for your bachelor's program, consider this: graduate school is typically even more competitive. Before you decide which program to select, you need to figure out the potential ROI for completing your Master's degree. Do some long-term planning and roadmap the next five to 10 years of your career. You may be wondering: what can I do with a project management certification? Will a Master's degree help you reach the end of your 10-year plan? What do you hope to gain from the degree? Would you be better off with an MBA or PMP certificate to accomplish your 10-year plan? After collecting advice from forums and articles, here are a few factors you should consider when applying for programs: MPM vs. MBA vs. PMP While we were surfing through the discussion forums based around whether or not to get a Master's in Project Management, we saw a lot of strong business leaders calling for people to get their MBA or PMP certificate instead. Consider all your options; in fact, most people recommended a combination of two or all three. MPM vs. MBA — Both degrees have long-lasting value and show dedication to your craft. MPM is a great choice for people who want to dig into the details and nuances of being a project manager, while MBA is the path you should take if you want to go into higher levels of management that require a wider berth of business knowledge, big-picture mindsets, and the language that comes along with being an Executive. MPM vs. PMP — Both are great for people who want to be better project managers. MPM is a great choice for people who want to stay in project management roles for the next decade. If you don't plan to stay in project management forever, or you want to put off getting a full-blown degree, perhaps PMP certification is enough to give you the knowledge you need for the next 3-5 years of your career. Online or Onsite With the advent of the internet, more and more universities are offering programs online. If you want access to a specific university's resources without the hassle of moving across the country or across the world, consider an online degree. Just remember that you'll lose the great libraries, convenient walk-in access to office hours, and so-bad-it's-good campus food. General or Specialized Some Master's programs give you a general knowledge of project management and all that it entails. Other programs are industry-specific: construction, IT, etc. If you know what field you'll be working in, and you plan to stay in that field long-term, a specialized Master's program might be a better fit. Another tip: some programs offer general MPM programs, but many of their class offerings are industry-focused. Research the course offerings before committing to a program. Theory or Hands-on With the wide assortment of MPM offerings, some universities are theory-based (e.g. write an essay, a term-paper, a detailed thesis), and some are hands-on learning (e.g. create project plans, develop project schedules, learn to track budgets). Don't settle on the first program you find — or the first program that accepts you — make sure they're offering the type of education that suits your goals. Is Higher Education right for you? A Master's in Project Management can be a great asset, or a great waste of time and money. Do your research, read program reviews, and get feedback from your peers before committing to a new degree. At the end of the day, the decision is in your hands, but you don't have to make the decision alone. What made you finally decide to go for your MPM degree or vote against it? Give us your feedback and help out other project managers with your personal recommendations. Sources: http://www.projectmanagement.com/discussion-topic/16656/Should-I-study-a-masters-in-Project-Management http://www.projectmanagement.com/discussion-topic/18467/Need-Advise---Masters-in-Project-management http://www.projectmanagement.com/discussion-topic/6357/Value-of-Master-of-Science-in-Project-Management http://projectmanagement.ittoolbox.com/groups/career/projectmanagement-career/is-swapping-mba-for-ms-project-management-worth-it-5479871 http://www.projectmanagement.com/discussion-topic/19985/Is-the-PMP-a-better-investment-than-the-MBA-
Why High Achievers Forget "Someday" and Hustle Today (Work Management Roundup)
It's another Friday of yet another week, and this week, I've decided it's time to get "weird." You may be thinking, "But why?" Well, we discovered this week that being weird is actually a plus for you — especially if it means you're forging a path others have not yet trod. And especially if it means you're creating a life you want to live. Welcome to [inlinetweet prefix="To read:" tweeter="" suffix="via @Wrike"]this week's weird, yet inspirational, edition of the Work Management Roundup[/inlinetweet]! Wake Up and Get Off the "Someday Island" (Entrepreneur): Matt Mayberry talks about how achievers aren't postponing doing the things they love "someday," they're creating their own circumstances in life right now. So if you're not happy with your work, career, or life in general, change it! 7 Things I Did To Reboot My Life (WilWheaton.net): If you need inspiration on changing your life, take a cue from actor/celebrity Wil Wheaton whose essay details both the thoughts and the process behind his personal pivot. Why Being Weird is Your Best Creative Trait (Medium): Ever have moments at work where you're suddenly sharing TMI? That may be a good thing. Because that impulse to share irrelevant information is the same impulse that won't filter out the creative breakthrough ideas. Excellent read on why weirdness is being cultivated and how to embrace your inner weirdo. How the Internet Of Things is Changing Work (Fast Company): Sure, the Internet of Things will connect millions of gadgets around the home and the office. But how will this impact actual human beings doing human jobs? 3 Tips for Future-proofing Your Digital Career (BusinessesGrow): Alongside IoT, self-driving cars, and automation in many work systems, how do you ensure you won't lose your job to a robot in the near future? By emphasizing the human element. Pump Up the Jams and Feel Powerful (Kellogg Insight): Here's something that athletes have known for a long time: the right "high-power" playlist can help you construe information better and help you take initiative. In short, the right background music empowers you to be productive. And yes, this is backed by research. More Work Management Reads Think About This: Mayo Clinic Launches Ambitious Study on How Being Indoors All The Time Affects Us (Fast Company) 6 Ways Work Will Change in 2016 (Fast Company) Warning: Cars’ Voice-Activated Systems Distract Drivers, Study Finds (NY Times) Better Brainstorming in the Workplace (Gorilla Office Supplies) Go Try This: Be Different: Three Unique Ideas For B2B Brands Trying To Stand Out (Inbound.org) The Internet’s Laziest People Share Their Cleverest Life Hacks (BGR) How to Promote Your Flipboard Magazine: Advice from the Pros (Medium) Improve Communication In The Workplace (Employee Scheduling Pro) How to Boost Morale in the Breakroom [Infographic] (Burris Inc) Browse The Work Management Roundup on Flipboard If you use Flipboard on your mobile device, then you can choose to read these links via The Work Management Roundup magazine. View my Flipboard Magazine.
Take the Leap: Become a Project Management Consultant in 7 Steps
To a project manager entrenched in corporate politics and organizational red tape, the idea of striking out on your own as an independent project management consultant might sound like a dream. You choose your own clients, you set your own pay, and you can stop jumping through so many hoops. But how do you know if you're ready, or if you have what it takes to be successful? Do you know how to start a project management business? And how do you go from wanting to be a consultant to actually being one? Are you ready to be a Project Management Consultant? Here are three signs you're ready to take the plunge: 1. You're experienced enough to have developed reliable expertise and finely-honed skill sets. You've not only mastered project management techniques, but also adept leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. 2. You have a well-established, wide-ranging network of clients, colleagues, and peers you can draw on to help you find new work and endorse your skills. 3. You're stable enough financially to take on a risky professional move. (Or you’re retired with a reliable income, but want to keep working here and there.) 7 Steps to Success as a PM Consultant: So you've got the skills necessary for project management consultancy. But how do you actually get started? Step 1: Pinpoint your strengths. How are you going to position yourself as an expert? What specialized skills and knowledge do you have to offer potential clients? Back it up with demonstrated experience and references. Step 2: Figure out how to market yourself. Now that you've determined the unique skills you have to offer, you need to spread the word and convince potential clients you have what it takes to deliver their project successfully. Decide exactly who you're going to target. Build a website (it doesn't have to be too flashy, just functional). Consider offering a promotional rate to land your first few projects. Step 3: Keep building your network. Put in the effort to maintain solid relationships with colleagues and clients you already know, and keep expanding your circle. Make sure you tell everyone in your network about your new venture as a consultant so they can help spread the word. You never know who will help you snag your first gig! Step 4: Lay the groundwork for your business. Being a successful consultant takes more than just being great at what you do: it takes good business sense as well. How will you handle billing and expenses (perhaps with a consulting billable hours template)? Will you charge by the hour? By project? Do you need office space? What's the best way to keep records? How will you cover health insurance for yourself and your family? Is there a sales tax on professional services in your region? The time to answer these questions is now, not when you're staring down a pile of urgent notice letters. Step 5: Create a financial lifeline. Because it's common for project management consultants to be paid monthly, you’ll need a reserve of savings to last you those first several months while you’re lining up work and still in the midst of completing your first projects. 8-12 months of living expenses is a good savings guideline. Step 6: Nail down the logistics. Figure out the nuts and bolts of how you’re going to organize all your work. What tools will you use to track your current clients, potential clients, ongoing and completed projects? How will you stay connected with your project team and stakeholders, especially when you're not on-site? Find a cloud project management software that you like and compliments the way you work — just make sure it’s easy to invite outside partners to access certain projects while keeping your other information private. Step 7: Take care of yourself! 9-5? Sick days? Vacation time? What’s that? When you’re working for yourself, it’s all too easy to push yourself too hard. You need to be just as dedicated to your "off" time as you are to your work. When you're harried and overworked, you're more likely to make mistakes. And as an independent consultant, mistakes are one thing your reputation can't afford. Block off "me time" in advance — and stick to the plan! Do you have the confidence? Ultimately, you need more than experience, networking skills, and a solid business plan. You need confidence in yourself and in your decisions. After all, you’ll be the expert everyone will look to, clients and project team alike. If you're a project management consultant, we'd love to hear your perspective! What advice would you give other PM consultants just starting out?
Advance Your Career by Playing to Your Strengths at Work
What are your strengths and weaknesses? If the last time you considered this question was during a job interview, you're probably past due for a little self-reflection. And while it's important to acknowledge where you have room for improvement, it's actually best not to spend too much time and energy working on your weaknesses. Instead, focus on doing more of what you're already great at. After all, if your writing skills are a 1 out of 10, even months of work might only get you to a 4 or 5. So devote that time to pinpointing areas where you excel and finding ways to make your true talents shine. When the work you do draws on your natural abilities, it's less arduous. It makes work more interesting and engaging, elevating your performance and attracting the kind of positive attention that’s key for advancing your career. But true introspection is not easy, and identifying your personal strengths in a meaningful way can be a challenge. 5 Ways to Identify Your Personal Strengths Some people are good at asking the big-picture questions: what problem are we trying to solve and why? What are our company goals? These visionary thinkers are able to create an inspiring, positive picture of the future and rally others around it. Others excel at analyzing facts and figures and determining what needs to be done when, boiling down big-picture thinking into clear, specific goals. Still others are good at using proven techniques and tools to make processes more effective and efficient. To identify your core strengths, ask yourself the following questions: Which activities are the most satisfying or fulfilling for you? What energizes you at work? What tasks do your colleagues come to you for help with? What types of work do you get the most praise for? When you look up from your work to find that two hours have flown by, what kind of projects are you working on? What kinds of skills or abilities are you using when you feel most "in the zone?" What kinds of activities do you do when you’re not at work? What types of hobbies or volunteer work do you do? Organizing events? Building relationships? For an even deeper understanding of your strengths, ask colleagues, mentors, friends, and family for feedback. Ask them about times when you made an important contribution or helped them in a meaningful way, then look for patterns or themes. Do you stay calm under pressure? Are you reliable? Show enthusiasm and curiosity? Persevere when times get tough? You might be pleasantly surprised at how many strengths your peers recognize and appreciate in you! How to Apply Your Strengths to Your Daily Work Now that you've identified them, how can you structure your work to play to your strengths? Every position has certain constraints, and not every aspect of your job will be a natural complement to the type of work you excel at. But that doesn't mean you can't tailor your projects and teamwork to play up your advantages and those of your colleagues — and draw positive attention to your efforts and accomplishments. Even small changes can make a big impact, like shifting your schedule or adjusting how many meetings you hold. For instance, if you find that your strengths include both relationship building and creative problem solving, ask your team to share their biggest roadblocks and brainstorm ways to improve products and processes. In some instances, no amount of fine-tuning or rescheduling will make your job a fit for your natural strengths and abilities. If you find that's the case for you, it may be time to reevaluate whether your current position is truly a good fit for your career goals and personal happiness — and arming yourself with a deeper understanding of the types of situations in which you excel is a critical first step in finding a new position or career path that you can thrive in. Knowing your own strengths and that of others on your team makes it easier to find that collaboration sweet spot where everyone is able to play to their strengths, and not get bogged down by motivation-draining tasks where they can’t add value. So stop dwelling on your weaknesses, and start making your strengths even stronger. For more ways to up your game at work, check out these articles on simple ways to develop your leadership skills and bring more positivity to your work. Sources: HBR.org, Forbes.com, Medium.com
The Project Manager Shortage is Coming: 3 Ways to Prepare
Have you told your project manager how much you appreciate them lately? You probably should, because in a few years, you might not have one at all. Experienced project managers are in higher demand than ever. As the economy continues to recover, organizations worldwide will need to take advantage of this growth with projects that successfully support their strategic goals. But with the increasing shortage of experienced project managers, the very people companies rely on for project success will be the most difficult to find. Almost 90% of respondents to an ESI survey said it was either "very difficult" or "somewhat difficult" to find qualified project managers for hire — and it's only going to get worse. The PM Shortage is Coming The Project Management Institute (PMI) reports that 60% of its members are age 40 or older, and 30% of project managers are projected to leave the workforce by 2018. They'll leave a huge gap in their wake: according to PMI, the shortage of experienced project managers will reach "critical levels" as early as 2016. That’s right around the corner! Get ready: Develop a culture of knowledge sharing and/or mentoring in your company to help junior project managers learn from their more experienced peers. And if your company is one of the almost two-thirds of businesses that hire temporary project management consultants, give your internal team the tools to capture that knowledge to guide future initiatives. PMI’s Pulse of the Profession 2014 report shows that organizations with effective knowledge sharing in place have a 70% success rate for strategic initiatives, compared to a 45% success rate for organizations without it. Find a collaboration tool that will help your project team and managers (whether internal or external) share knowledge, learn from one another, and improve their capabilities. Ongoing Training is Essential Your junior and mid-level project managers may be qualified PMPs with impressive education and credentials, but they may not have the extensive experience it takes to manage increasingly complex, ambitious projects. And with the landscape constantly shifting to embrace a new methodology or project management application, they need to stay on top of the latest trends. You can bet your competitors are. Most companies haven't put enough of a focus on training and development in recent years, and although the economy is rebounding, budgets are still tight enough that devoting funds to training hasn’t been a top priority. But that’s starting to change. This ESI survey shows that companies offering training see an ROI of 501% for entry level project managers, 268% for mid-level, and 358% for senior-level. Get ready: Start a training program now. Helping your project managers gain more experience and certifications will put your company in a better position once the shortage hits, since you’ll be able to draw on your own internal talent rather than resorting to combing the classifieds. And don't just focus on traditional project management skills like risk analysis and project planning — consider where do project managers work best in your organisation. Soft skills like communication, cultural intelligence, virtual collaboration, and servant leadership are becoming increasingly valuable and key to project success. Projects are Becoming More Complex As the economy improves, the number of projects companies are undertaking is growing — but on top of that, projects are also becoming increasingly complex. They involve a larger team, distributed offices and workers, external departments and partners, and multiple stakeholders. And with a significant majority of experienced project managers leaving the workforce, junior project managers won't have the experience they need to confidently navigate these projects. Get ready: Give junior project managers a variety of smaller projects to help them expand their skill sets, learn how to work with different types of teams, and successfully complete all kinds of projects. As your company grows, you need your project managers to grow with it and be able to take on different types of work and more complicated initiatives. If you've noticed the impending project manager shortage, what has your company done to prepare? Share your wisdom in the comments below.
Why You Should Use Neuroscience to Master Change Management
Managing a project for the first time can be overwhelming. First, there's the technical side to learn: project management methods and tools, organizational techniques, etc. Then, there's the really important part: the people side of things. Most project managers and team leaders learn the hard way that appropriately managing people and change is the key to a smooth and sustainable execution. Here's the good news: just as you can learn the basic techniques to survive any project, you can also learn a few fundamentals about human nature that will help you effectively manage your colleagues and stakeholders without being the bad guy. Heck, they might even like your style! SCARF: Your New Management Framework With so many books and articles on people and change management, it's easy to get confused. Especially when encountering contradictory points of view. I propose a management technique based on an understanding of how our brains are wired to react to change. The framework I suggest is David Rock's SCARF: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. These factors activate our brains either positively or negatively, depending on whether we feel threatened or secure. By considering these 5 domains, you can help your team be more positive, focused, productive, and collaborative. Here's what you need to know about SCARF and how to apply it to your team: 1. Status Status reflects how much a person feels respected and valued. How to boost: Make them shine! Provide team members with public praise, especially in front of their managers. And make sure you don't give the impression of trying to take credit for others' work. Ask for opinions or help. Involve them in a significant project, and/or remind them how their current project helps the company achieve a strategic objective. Applaud them for showing improvement, or for working to develop their skills. 2. Certainty Did you know the brain has 5 times more neural networks to detect threats than rewards or opportunities? The brain likes certainty, and without it, people speculate and become anxious. How to boost: Provide open and consistent information about what will be changed, why, and what the effects will be. When there is no information to be shared, or if decisions are still in the works, communicate that fact as well. 3. Autonomy Autonomy is our need to have control over our own lives. (It's one reason we don't like being micromanaged.) How to boost: Ask, don't tell. Instead of just assigning someone a task and imposing a due date, make a request and allow the assignee to commit to an action and due date that satisfies both parties. Allow negotiation. Give the performer the opportunity to negotiate the delivery date. 4. Relatedness This is about our social nature and our sense of belonging to a group. It enhances trust, engagement, and performance. How to boost: Give team members time with leaders. Have team meetings to share best practices and lessons. Host informal social gatherings and team-building activities. 5. Fairness Our brains are great at detecting when a change will impact us unfairly. Just think of how quickly kids detect unfairness, and how they immediately resist it. In times of change, our brains need to know that an outcome (and the process for reaching that outcome) will be fair. How to boost: Focus on transparency with the process and the results. Encourage people to come forward if they perceive unfairness. How to Get Started with SCARF Tip when implementing SCARF: It's extremely important to consider these domains for your project team members, but don't forget the other stakeholders! Your project can screech to a halt because of imposed barriers by coworkers, top management, shareholders, trade unions, suppliers, and even your customers. Ask yourself these questions: Who is being impacted by this project? Who could perceive a threat to any of their SCARF domains? To start practicing, observe your colleagues, family, and friends. When someone gets upset or annoyed, try to identify the cause. Which of their SCARF domains have been triggered? Project Managers and Change Management Project managers grapple with change management every day. How have you helped your team through a big transition? Share your tips and help out your fellow project managers! Sources: Neuroscience: Helping Employees Through Change
Take This Quiz: Are You A Micromanager? (Infographic)
You read all the literature on micromanagement. You avoid forcing your ideas on your colleagues and friends whenever possible. But you still worry about whether or not you are coming across in a helpful, positive light. ...Or maybe this quiz suddenly appeared in your inbox from an anonymous sender? According to a survey from the book My Way or the Highway, 71% of non-managers said micromanagement has interfered with their job performance. Whether you came to this quiz on your own or received it from a concerned friend, it's time to find out once and for all if you're being too overbearing. So, are you a micromanager? After you take the quiz, read our guest post on the top 3 reasons why micromanagement is a MACRO hindrance. (Prefer the interactive version? You can also take this micromanagement quiz on Qzzr!) What were your results? Are you a micromanager, a bit of a pushover, or someone we'd all like to work with? Don't worry — if your management style isn't where you want it to be, you can always improve. If you enjoyed our infographic, share it on your website with this embed code: Brought to you by Wrike Here are some resources you can check out to get you back on the right track: • 3 Reasons Micromanagement is a Macro Hindrance • How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Project Manager • 4 Problems with Virtual Meetings that You Can Fix • 10 Phrases That Can Ruin Your Project Kickoff Meeting
How to Answer the Most Common Project Management Interview Questions
Secured an interview for the project management position and want to come prepared? Nail your next junior or senior project manager interview with this guide to the most commonly asked project management interview questions and their answers.
Why People Are Ignoring Your Business Memos
Business memos seem retro but still have a place in today’s business world. Are employees not reading your memos? Maybe it’s time to update your template and adopt a more modern business memo. Read on for business memo best practices and examples of both traditional and modern business memos.
Bad Office Behavior is Risky Business
Whether you're talking about unethical actions or everyday whining, the thing about bad workplace behavior is that it's infectious. Someone starts gossiping over lunch, and before you know it, cliques of people are trading horror stories about the NSFW image they may or may not have spotted on their colleague's computer screen. And if this type of behavior is not nipped in the bud, it spreads throughout the company. It becomes the company culture.
5 Project Management Lessons to Learn from Superheroes
With busy schedules, tight deadlines and many other day-to-day project management challenges, have you ever wished you had a super power to help you cope with them all in a magical way? Inspired by interesting comments to our CEO’s recent post "7 Business Lessons an Entrepreneur Can Learn from Superheroes", we thought of a few lessons a project manager can learn from superheroes. Thor – Learn humility This Northern god of Thunder was thrown down to Earth and deprived of his powers, until he proved to be humble. Jim Collins, the author of leadership best-sellers Good to Great and Built to Last, also suggests humility as a key factor of being a great team leader. As an example, he writes about Darwin Smith, CEO of Kimberly-Clark. Described as a “shy, unpretentious, even awkward” guy, he turned Kimberly-Clark into the leading consumer paper products company in the world during his 20 years as a CEO. Spider-Man – Take responsibility Peter Parker learned the hard way that “With great power comes great responsibility.” Of course, a project manager doesn’t need to save New York from scientists who go crazy, but a project’s success is definitely a big weight that lies on their shoulders.However, as Ian McAllister, senior traffic manager at Amazon, mentions in his answer to this Quora question, taking responsibility is different from taking blame. Just remember, that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whose fault it was, but that it’s your responsibility to prevent the mistake from happening in the future.By the way, responsibility has an upside as well. Our recent survey showed that more than 80% of managers consider a sense of responsibility the no.1 productivity motivator for them! Green Lantern – Be creative A project manager can learn a thing or two from Hal Jordan who used his ring to materialize things that existed in his mind. When competition is hot, you need to be extra creative to get ahead of it. Edward de Bono, the author of the "lateral thinking” term (which is a less-used substitute to the “outside-the-box” buzzword) said, "Creative thinking is not a talent; it is a skill that can be learnt. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improves teamwork, productivity and where appropriate profits." The Thing – Stay empathic Don’t let appearance mislead you, this thick-skinned guy may seem tough, but he is the heart and soul of Fantastic Four. He possesses the trait that Dr. Daniel Goleman, famous psychologist and science journalist, finds mission-critical for a successful leader – empathy. "Leaders with empathy," says Goleman, "do more than sympathize with people around them: they use their knowledge to improve their companies in subtle, but important ways." This doesn't mean that they agree with everyone's view or try to please everybody. Rather, they "thoughtfully consider employees' feelings – along with other factors – in the process of making intelligent decisions." Professor X – Raise superheroes yourself Probably the best team manager in the Marvel universe, Professor Charles Xavier, didn’t only build a famous X-team, but also created a school where he helped gifted youngsters safely develop their powers. As a team leader, it’s one of your priorities to foster and improve your team member’s talents and skills. After all, this is the way to building a dream superhero team. What about you? What super power do you wish you could use on the work package battlefield?
11 Attitudes More Important to Success Than Raw Talent (Work Management Roundup)
Our latest weekly roundup touches on 11 habits you need to succeed, all of which are more important than raw talent. Because personal success really does boil down to how you think. Plus many more articles on productivity and work.
4 Skills Managers Will Need to Learn in the Next Decade
The fundamentals of leadership haven't changed. You lead by example, you inspire team members to do their very best work, you communicate well and often. However, the circumstances surrounding our work are constantly changing. Remote/global workforces, offshore outsourcing, and an unrelenting tide of technology and tools have changed the way we work, and the skills needed to manage our teams. Case in point: In 1997, as managing editor to a monthly lifestyle magazine, I was coordinating contributors via three archaic tools: phone, fax, and (gasp) pager. At the time, appointments had to be made well in advance and submissions by fax had to be re-encoded manually. Meetings were always done face-to-face, and there was little visibility into what other people were doing. The skills I needed then are still mostly useful, but I've had to learn much more in order to function within a modern startup. There is no doubt that a decade from now, managers will need skills that our parents probably never even dreamed of. How do you prepare for that unseen future? Simple: you take emerging work trends and extend them forward a few years, predicting which ones have the strongest chance of sticking around. Then you figure out what skills you will need to navigate work within those trends. Here is my list of the four skills that managers will need to learn in the next decade: 1. Managers Will Need Cross-Cultural Intelligence TREND: Workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse. Companies of all sizes continue to expand to overseas locations, or engage in offshore outsourcing. SKILL NEEDED: Managers are being called not just to understand cultural differences, but also be able to switch to different behaviors as the situation dictates. Cultural intelligence (CQ), like emotional intelligence (EQ), is a relatively new method of understanding ourselves and, in turn, our teammates. Author Julia Middleton explains in her book Cultural Intelligence, that CQ can be broken down into two parts: our core (the behaviors we will not change for anyone) and our flex (those behaviors we can change when needed). Managers will need to learn to use their flex side in a concept called cultural code-switching, being able to blend with a culture as needed, and even engage in behaviors that may conflict with the culture they grew up with. For example: giving feedback directly as opposed to covering it with humor, or being a more present boss as opposed to letting the team self-organize. The manager's aim should be to focus on the result and think about altering your behavior as a means to meeting your team's end. 2. Managers Will Need Virtual Collaboration Skills TREND: As organizations source talent from across the globe, remote workforces increase. According to Wrike's Remote Work survey of 1,000 employees, 80% of respondents deal with remote workers on a daily basis, either working with distributed colleagues, or as remote workers themselves. SKILL NEEDED: Managers must be able to lead their teams and engage with individuals effectively — no matter where in the world they may be stationed. While face-to-face meetings may remain the norm for companies that exist in only one brick-and-mortar location, it's becoming increasingly common to hold meetings online or in shared virtual spaces. This means managers can no longer assume that attendees are all on the same page, and communication skills must be updated to ensure no misunderstandings happen. Plus, this entails learning the technology needed to communicate effectively. 3. Managers Must Adapt to New Technologies TREND: New inventions appear everyday, including technologies that make work easier or that fundamentally change the way we work. SKILL NEEDED: The speed with which new technologies appear requires managers who are flexible enough to learn new tools and incorporate them into daily use. For example: marketing is an industry where tools are created at the speed of need. While jumping on the bandwagon isn't a formula I'd suggest, it does pay to experiment with new tech. Find out what works. Test which ones make your time more productive. Assemble your toolbox of essential tools and keep it updated. 4. Managers Will Need to Handle Information Overload TREND: Information overload is a very real thing, especially in our modern workplace. There is a limit to the amount of stuff our minds can process, a.k.a. our cognitive load. SKILL NEEDED: Managers who want to succeed in the next decade must be able to manage this deluge of data and extract the useful bits from the noise. For example: they will have to distinguish emergencies amidst the massive influx of messages in their email inboxes. They will have to prioritize work that delivers the most value, even with a huge number of mixed signals from stakeholders. They will have to be strategic despite all the pings and notifications that will have them running to "put out fires." They will need to be masters at prioritizing, time management, and focus if they intend to be successful at work and at life. What Do You See in Your Crystal Ball? If you tie all four skills together, the unifying theme is constant learning and flexibility. If you're flexible enough to take what comes and willing to educate yourself on how best to adapt, then the future holds no insurmountable surprises for you. Do you agree or disagree with my list? Do you see a management skill that's missing? Hit the comments and share your views on what skills managers will need to be successful in the future. READ NEXT: Why Employers Value Emotional Intelligence Over IQ (Infographic) Top 3 Trends Shaping Project Collaboration Is Information Overload Real? Or Are We Just a Wimpy Generation? (Video) Photo credit: Darth Grader on Flickr