Project managers have long been the linchpin of successful organisations, responsible for planning, organizing, and overseeing the intricate web of tasks required to complete the innovative and ingenious opportunities that companies turn into profits and efficiency. However, in recent years, the reputation of project managers has faced significant challenges due to issues surrounding their work and the perceived poor outcomes.

Discover the path to genuine diversity and inclusion by navigating past common DEI pitfalls. Explore the keys to embracing true diversity and inclusion in your organization.

Are you intrigued by the fast-paced world of digital project management but don't know where to start? Do you find yourself asking, "How can I break into this exciting field?" Look no further because in this blog post, we'll unveil the secrets to cracking the code and launching your career in digital project management.

Crafting a digital business case is a critical step in this process, as it outlines the rationale, objectives, and strategies for digital initiatives. However, creating a successful business case involves more than just numbers and projections; it requires a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder needs, which can only be achieved by involving them from the beginning.

Project management is a dynamic field that requires a delicate balance between optimism and pragmatism, I get that. While the pursuit of the ideal is a noble endeavour, it's essential to recognize that unrealistic idealism can lead to project failures.

Social media has become an integral part of our lives. It's a platform that can bring people together, inspire creativity, and showcase talents and ideas. However, it can also be a breeding ground for negativity and unrealistic expectations.

In a world constantly bombarded by headlines of rising inflation, conflicts, diseases, and natural disasters, it's easy to succumb to the weight of negativity. However, there's a choice we can make—to let these challenges consume us or to rise above them with unwavering optimism

While striving for personal and professional growth, it's crucial to remain true to your core values and principles. Authenticity is a powerful asset in any career. Align your actions with your values and beliefs, and you'll find that personal growth can be achieved without compromising who you are.

When ethical boundaries are repeatedly crossed, individuals may experience guilt, shame, and a sense of betrayal. Over time, these emotions can contribute to anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

So, how do we re-prioritise the things that are important to us in our private lives, in some kind of balance with activities that are inherently stressful?

You could be a Shakespearean trained PM with a gift for the gab like nobody’s business - but some people carry biases, agendas and unfortunately can be quite hostile and unprofessional, even if you’re putting your best foot forward. There can be a lot of bullying of project and programme professionals, with senior managers yelling, interrupting, accusing and screaming at project professionals.

The more complex the project, and the more ambiguous the topic (think digital, academic, research), the more to-the-point presentations have become. On its face; this may not seem like a bad thing, but an article in medium from 2020 basically validated why, despite the short time you have to deliver a critical piece of information, quotes are still welcome and strategic additions to any presentation.

But if we’re all honest, our “efficiently” is dictated by the pace of the organisations our projects sit within. And if we’re not able to find a happy medium, we lose efficient thinking - productivity, the ability to scale ideas, the ability to work laterally across different domains, and lead effectively.

What I discovered? I had what I’ve come to refer to as serious “silent burnout”. It’s a type of “quiet quitting”, but not quite. Quiet quitting started trending in 2022, and described a state of passionless working where you do the bare minimum. But even though “silent burnout” has some of the same elements as “quiet quitting”; you DON’T do the bare minimum - to the contrary, you go nuts and over-egg it like you’re afraid there will never be eggs again. Since I had to suffer through it, hopefully I can get #SilentBurnout trending!

My favourite Mae story is how she double-booked herself on a date. Of course before she was married, she had been gifted a fur-stole from one suiter and agreed to see The Nat King Cole Trio with another. As Baltimore’s music scene was a small one, of course fur-stole guy would arrive to the club as she was being seated with her date. A quick thinker, she ducked under the tables and snuck out through the back! She dumped both, but still had the fur-stole to show her granddaughter after she found the love of her life, a World War I veteran who was part of a staged protest at his barracks because the coloured soldiers didn’t have the same access to reverends and showers as the white soldiers.