In my project management career I have met many who would get upset about me insisting on processes. I would be told we need to be more flexible. Many times the word “agile” would come up. However I quickly realized that most people using the word agile had no idea what it actually means. That agile means daily meetings, on time, time bound and very focused. Once people understand that, they become more careful when using the word.
Any great artist will tell you that they did not just pick up a pen / crayon / paintbrush or whatever they use and become great artists just like that. The really big artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso or here in Africa Cheri Samba (DRC) or Patrick Kinuthia and Kaspa in Kenya spend years learning the basics. They learned the color charts, what complementary colors are, how to mix primary colors to get all other colors, the essentials of perspective, the anatomy of the human body and much more. Those working in certain specialty areas, have to learn the basics of construction – like Leonardo Da Vinci for the Sistine Chapel, or Basics of photography and lighting like Alf Kumalo from South Africa. The musicians had to learn the basics of music first, spending years learning their musical scales and practicing their etudes. Dancers need to learn basic dance steps first. Once they have internalized the basics they can now start their own interpretation of the basics. Even those who pushed the boundaries of their artform needed to have worked within the boundaries first. They always build up on the basics. Then most try out different things those artists before them, who they use as inspiration, have used until they find their own unique style. The same applied in Project Management, you can not do without the basics!
You need to understand what basic project management is and how it works. Then you can work on understanding agile, waterfall, iterative, scrum and all the other methodologies out there. Once you have understood all these standards, you can now work on customizing your projects. You will find many times you will end up using a hybrid approach, which uses elements from the different approaches and standards, to fit the needs of your projects.
A good solid foundation on international standards like PMP (Project Management Professional) certification from Project Management Institute (PMI) or Prince 2 Practitioner for IT projects, will give you the start you need. If you do any of the specialized certifications later, really depends on your preference and where your niche is. A Masters in a University that does not base its program on an international recognized standard, will just be another piece of paper. However a Masters from a University, who base their program on an internationally recognized standard, can be very useful. Even if you have done your certification or your degree, you need to keep yourself grounded on the basics. Hence I believe it is essential to keep attending seminars / webinars / conferences etc. Here you can mix with others, exchange ideas and learn from what others do. You also learn how the standards are adjusted to the emerging needs. Keeping up with the latest developments is essential for us as project managers. Then we can lay out the initial processes for our company and spin the day to day requirements around these. Every couple of months – I recommend at least annually – you then need to review your laid out Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to confirm they still comply with the current needs of the majority of the projects. If needs change you have to adjust your SOP, hence the regular reviews as a team.
With a good solid base of processes / procedures, you can now tailor to the needs of your individual project.