You've just invested your precious time in a project management symposium, conference, or training class. Congratulations on being proactive in your project management development. But how can you take action after a symposium to obtain the full benefits of your learning?

Why You Should Take Action Soon?

Here's the problem we all face when attending a project management symposium. Things at work don't stop, do they? More emails and voicemails have arrived. New problems have popped up. It can take days to recover.

But, if we fail to take action from the symposium soon, we forget what we've learned. Our motivation to change wains. And our personal growth—that we so badly want—does not occur.

It's frustrating, isn't it? You've gained some new knowledge to advance your career. How can you review and reinforce your learning? What's the trick of transforming your newly gained knowledge into powerful skills?

If you are reading this it means that you're struggling to mature as a project manager. You watch others get their certifications. You see more junior project managers getting the promotions. Your peers are getting the salary increases. Why not you? 

Just because you have practiced project management for a long time does not mean that you are getting better. Perhaps you have this gnawing feeling deep down inside that you aren't putting in the effort to mature as a project manager.

And it's frustrating because you are capable of more...way more!

We must not allow our excuses to hold us hostage. Examine them closely.

Furthermore, let's up our game, serve others, and reach our greatest potential.

Think of the project managers you admire most. Often, these are individuals who possess more than the technical skills such as developing project schedules and performing risk analysis. These project managers have strong interpersonal project management skills. So, what are interpersonal skills? Why are they important? And, how can we improve these critical skills?

What are Interpersonal Project Management Skills

Interpersonal skills are relational and communication skills. They are soft skills, but that does not mean they are not important. Seth Godin argues that these should be called real skills -- these skills are critical to our success.

Imagine a project team with strong-willed individuals who battled one another over a buy vs. build decision. Sally, a long-time employee and senior developer, made a case for leveraging the tools and experience of the company to build a solution. John, an operational manager said, "We don't have time to develop a solution; our competition is already ahead of us. Let's buy and implement a commercial solution as soon as possible." How would you have handled the relational and communication aspects of this conflict?

Great project managers are great communicators. And we are often required to inform, persuade, inspire, and lead others. Let's look at how public speaking may be hurting your career and twelve ways to become a better speaker.

So, what is public speaking (also called oratory)? It is the process or act of performing a speech to a live audience.

When does this occur for project managers? Every time you lead a meeting. When you train others. Presentations to senior management. Board meetings. 

There are also opportunities to advance your career outside of your day-to-day projects. I regularly speak at PMI Chapter meetings and project management symposiums (which earns me PMI Professional Development Units). 

How do you feel about public speaking? According to the Washington Post, public speaking is one of our top fears (followed closely by bugs, snakes, and other animals). 

Here's the good news. You can learn to be a better speaker. Yes, it takes practice, but you can improve your confidence and your skills. Consequently, you will boost your career opportunities. Here's how.

Think about the project managers you've worked with through the years. Which ones were unusually good? Which ones qualify as exceptional project managers?

I've had the privilege of working with hundreds of project managers in my career. Here are some of the traits and behaviors that made them stand out. How many of these traits do you possess?

I recently had a project manager ask me which of the PMI certifications he should pursue. That depends—it depends on your goals as a project manager. Certainly, the Project Management Professional (PMP)® and the Project Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® certifications supercharged my project management career.

How to Jump-Start Your PMI-RMP​ Certification Process

So, how does one get started? 

The Handbook provides a timeline of the PMI-RMP Certification Process. You will discover the exam policies and procedures. Furthermore, the application process and fees are explained.

Second, determine the resources that you plan to use. What books and courses will you use? 

Third, develop a study plan. When will you study each week? Will you prepare along or with a group?

The PMI-RMP Exam

The certification exam has 170 multiple-choice questions. And you have 3.5 hours to complete it. To maintain your PMI-RMP, you must earn 30 professional development units in risk management topics every three years.

So, what's the wise thing to do? Ask for directions, right? Find the path that leads to your destination.

But some people fail to do this in projects. Are you a lone ranger? You know the guy or gal who needs no input from others.

Are You a Lone Ranger?

I'm glad for their strong backgrounds and credentials, but it concerns me when I encounter the lone ranger mindset. No matter the accomplishments or how long one has led projects, we can all benefit from wise counsel.

Furthermore, when your project goes south, it impacts other people. Your team members. Management. Customers. Your company. Vendors. Partners.

And when things go awry, you will be criticized by these same stakeholders. Since people are going to talk about you, why not invite them to talk to you before you make your project decisions.

Here's what I know. When you realize that you made poor decisions, who will you likely go to for advice? Who are you gonna call?

Answer: It's not Ghostbusters. People often seek out the very people they chose to ignore earlier in their projects.

Seeking Advice From Peers

There's another class of project managers that are a step ahead of the lone rangers. When these people get stuck, they dial a friend. 

In contrast, other project managers have discovered the gold mine of seasoned and experienced project managers.

Seeking Advice From Experienced Project Managers

Why seek advice from experienced project managers? Well, these experienced project managers have been down the road many times. They have a perspective on things that is gained only through the school of hard knocks. These seasoned individuals can answer your toughest questions.

Another point, consider the possibility of talking to more than one person. In some cases, I've asked two or three seasoned individuals to meet together with me. The interaction provided insights that I would not have heard otherwise.

Never Stop Learning and Teaching

Take some time today to think about your projects. What is one area where you would benefit from the input of others? Ask an experienced project manager if you may buy them a cup of coffee and get their advice concerning a challenge you've encountered. Many individuals will be flattered and happy to help.

But there's another side of this coin. No matter how long you've been managing projects, you have experience too (more than others who are just starting). Offer to share your knowledge and experience. Whenever you teach others, you reinforce what you've learned for yourself. Pay it forward!