SPM 024 | Meet Aspiring Project Manager Jared Coffin

08/24/15 • 37 min

This is the first in what is anticipated will be a long running series where the Sensible Project Manager mentors an aspiring project manager. Today you will meet Jared Coffin, who we will get to know during the coming months as he shares his journey into project management.

During the Podcast

Meeting Jared Coffin

Today Jared is a web developer who has a degree in Aeronautic Management Technology from Arizona State University. With experience as a developer, pilot and fight trainer, he has decided that he wants to become a project manager. During the episode I explore Jared’s goals and uncover his level of knowledge about project management.

Becoming a Project Manager

In 2013 PMI published a report Industry Growth Forecast, which projects that 15.7 million project management roles will be added worldwide between 2010 & 2020. Additionally, salaries for project managers will increase in the same time period. Clearly there is a great demand for more project managers. If you are not a project manager today, I encourage you to consider this as a great career choice.

Being a Mentor

For those of you who are experienced project managers I encourage you to find an aspiring project manager and offer to mentor them as they enter the project management field. Many of you had mentors to help guide you as you became a project manager. Now is the time for you to step up and give back to the disciple.

The Aspiring Project Manager Series

The goal of this mentoring series is threefold:

Help Jared Coffin become a project manager and guide him through his first role as a PM.
Provide guidance for aspiring project managers as they break into the project management discipline.
Encourage seasoned project managers to establish a mentorship relationship with an aspiring project manager by providing a framework for that mentorship.

I don’t know how long this series will last, but I expect it to be several months or even a year or more, and I am committed to fulfilling these three goals during the series.

Subscribe to the “Free Aspiring Project Manager Course”

I am currently in the process of building a free course for those who are interested in learning about project management. If you are interested in this course, sign up below and I will let you know when it is available.

To Subscribe to the Podcast

Click Here to Subscribe to via iTunes

I would love it if you could leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. Your review will help the show and its ranking in iTunes. Thank you!

During the Podcast

Meeting Jared Coffin

Becoming a Project Manager

Being a Mentor

The Aspiring Project Manager Series

The goal of this mentoring series is threefold:

Help Jared Coffin become a project manager and guide him through his first role as a PM.
Provide guidance for aspiring project managers as they break into the project management discipline.
Encourage seasoned project managers to establish a mentorship relationship with an aspiring project manager by providing a framework for that mentorship.

I don’t know how long this series will last, but I expect it to be several months or even a year or more, and I am committed to fulfilling these three goals during the series.

Subscribe to the “Free Aspiring Project Manager Course”

To Subscribe to the Podcast

Click Here to Subscribe to via iTunes

I would love it if you could leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. Your review will help the show and its ranking in iTunes. Thank you!

Previous Episode

SPM 023 | Leadership Toolbox for Project Managers with Michel Dion

Michel Dion recently published a book called Leadership Toolbox for Project Managers: Achieve better results in a dynamic world. Michel joined me on #PMHangout41 to discuss leadership concepts as presented in his book. This was one of the many PMHangouts in the ongoing series of broadcasts sponsored by the Sensible Project Manager Hangout Community on Google+.

During the podcast

Burden of the New Role

The path to project management for many is acquired as you rise through the ranks and gain experience on projects as an individual contributor. As you become a project manager, you have to learn to accept the “burden of the new role”. You learn new terminology, along with accepting the role of a leader. It is important to lead including being willing to provide solutions to management and often making tough decisions. As you accept the burden of the new role, you will increase your skills as a leader.

Leadership Requires Courage

Often you have to make difficult decisions, and some might not necessarily be accepted by all. At times, leadership requires you to provide direction to your team which might not be popular. A true leader learns that they need to be willing to make those tough decisions or be strong with their team when necessary. Be courageous as a leader.

Honesty, Dependability and Trust

It is important that you build trust with both your team and those to which you report. As you are honest and dependable in your deliveries, you will build trust with those with which you associate with.

Leadership and Project Management

What is it that makes a project manager a leader? First a leader needs to be a good manager, meaning that he needs to be able to properly manage those things he has responsibility for such as budget, people and other resources. Leadership requires you to have a good vision of the goal and the ability to develop the strategies to fulfil that vision.

Connect with Michel Dion

Check out Project-Aria here.

Get the Book Here

I highly recommend this book. Select my affiliate link here to purchase Leadership Toolbox for Project Managers: Achieve better results in a dynamic world.

To Subscribe to the Podcast

Click Here to Subscribe to via iTunes

I would love it if you could leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. Your review will help the show and its ranking in iTunes. Thank you!

Next Episode

SPM 025 | Personal Growth & Development with Jared Coffin and Naomi Caietti

Naomi Caietti shares the first step for Jared Coffin in his personal growth and development plan. Listen as we learn the foundational behaviors project managers and program managers should focus on to improve their skills.

During the Podcast

During this episode Naomi referenced a research study, that she was able to participate in, that was performed by Pradco and Baldwin University in 2012. She uses this study as a foundation to help Jared understand what behaviors and attributes he should develop as he becomes a project manager.

Three Foundational Behavioral Indices

The study identified the following three foundational behavioral indices:

Competency
Leadership
Emotional Intelligence

Project Manager Behaviors

A project manager should focus on the following six behaviors:

Be Proactive
Be Flexible
Be Focused on Influencing People
Follow-Up
Promote Teamwork
Be Motivating

Project Manager & Program Manager Behaviors

Both project managers and program managers should focus on the following five behaviors:

Be Communicative
Have Integrity
Be Focused on Building Trust with your Team & Stakeholders
Be Goal Driven
Be Results Oriented

Program Manager Behaviors

Program managers should focus on the following five behaviors:

Strategic Thinking
Organizational Awareness
Leading Change
Judgement
Driving Results

Resources Mentioned this Session

Naomi’s Blogpost: How to Transform from a Project Manager to Project Leader – Part One of Three
Webinar: Key Leadership Behaviors to Advance in Project Management
Personal strengths assessment: An Overview of the Strength Deployment Inventory
Personal assessment book:StrengthsFinder 2.0
Personal Assessment Tool: Personal SWOT Analysis

Subscribe to the “Free Aspiring Project Manager Course”

To Subscribe to the Podcast

Click Here to Subscribe to via iTunes

I would love it if you could leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. Your review will help the show and its ranking in iTunes. Thank you!