12 June 2009

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Transitioning Industries #3:
How You Act

Part 3 of a 3-part series

In the 22 May issue of Community Post, we continued to report on the advice we received from readers on how best to transition industries. Here, in this third and final part of the series, we share more of your insights on this topic.

You’ve done your research and you’ve forged relationships with your new colleagues. But to truly be successful in your new industry, you need to focus also on yourself: how you behave and conduct yourself, and the qualities you exhibit.

Self-awareness

Your hard skills form the backbone of your skillset, and it’s impossible to succeed in any position without the necessary knowledge and the experience. But, as we reported in the 27 February issue of the Community Post, emotional intelligence (EQ) can be just as important to your future prospects. 

“My observation is that you need to focus on acquiring the portable skills that will help you to excel in any new situation,” says Peter Gilliland, PMP, of Singapore, who believes that in addition to intellectual (IQ) and managerial (MQ) skills, you need a healthy dose of emotional intelligence—such as self-awareness, conscientiousness, and sensitivity to others.

“I have observed that project managers who rely on IQ and MQ, and fail to understand how to relate to others, can expect only a mediocre career. People with high EQ are able to adapt quickly and be a valued asset in any company,” he says.

Know your project management—but know your coworkers, as well.

Humility

Nobody likes a know-it-all, especially when the person is new to the industry and may not even fully understand it yet. It’s natural that you’re passionate about your past experiences and eager to apply them in your new position. You need to be careful, though, not to come off as arrogant and unwilling to adapt.

“You will not get the respect just because of your title and past experience, but how you act and support your new teams,” says James C. Brown, PMP, PgMP, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

That past experience is an asset, albeit one that needs to be integrated responsibility into your new surroundings,

“My main point of advice, having changed industry a number of times, is that the quickest way to turn your new colleagues off is to consistently talk positively about your experiences elsewhere,” says Stewart Gater of U.K. “The way to pass on your hard-earned experiences is to offer them for comparison; they are not automatically better in the environment you have moved to.”

Humility, then, is the best tactic.

Kim Kris Christiansen of Copenhagen, Denmark recommends that you should “be humble towards the details of the industry you are entering.”

“The benefit is that you become a whole lot more conscious of what is really going on and of what works and doesn't work when you enter a new professional culture,” he says.

Credibility

That said, while you should present yourself with humility, don’t be afraid to showcase your expertise. Your knowledge and experience got you in the door, so your employer is counting on you to use them.

“Be confident that although you may lack experience in your new industry, you do have a certain amount of experience in project management, experience that will be beneficial to your new company, hence why you were hired. Do not be afraid to contribute,” says Bernard Collier, MBA, PMP, of Jefferson City, Missouri, USA.

Be patient, however. Given your status within the company, your colleagues may not immediately look to you as an expert.

Trust, after all, “has to be earned,” says Mr. Collier. “It may take some time for co-workers in your new industry to accept your ideas, suggestions and experience as being relevant to their present environment.”

If necessary, you can even use existing research or external sources to solidify your position.

“When given the opportunity to present views in the subject area, [I made] sure to back up my statements with citations from authorities in the field until my credibility was established,” says Trevor Bender, PMP, of Seattle, Washington, USA.

Perspective

Perhaps most importantly, you need to maintain a proper perspective. The challenges and frustrations of transitioning industries can be tough, but you can succeed with the skills and the right focus.

“Keep your perspective,” says Mark Schaaf, MPM, PMP, of Houston, Texas, USA, who says that changing industries is not a “zero-sum game,” but rather, an opportunity to expand.

“Your move doesn't represent a “this or that” situation in terms of what knowledge you can apply,” he says. “Seek to discover what you can add to what you already know, and look for ways to synthesize concepts in new ways.”

Rebecca Winston, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA, emphasizes that project managers are by definition flexible.

“Project managers…are adaptable. We are masters of change management, even for ourselves,” she says. “Project managers are chameleons, who adapt their many colorful talents to the background of the industry in which they are performing.”

For many project managers who have already made the switch, they find it hard to believe that they were ever frightened by the prospect.

“Now I look at my unfounded nervousness and laugh at it…,” says Ashel Reuben of Suva, Fiji.

For anyone else contemplating the switch, there’s no reason you can’t one day look back on your transition and laugh at your fears or concerns. With a good knowledge base, healthy professional relationships and the right attitude, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.

“I will confidently say that ‘A PM with business and technical knowledge will not be taken for a ride’,” says Jihad Jaljouli of Amman, Jordan.

For more information on transitioning industries, see the previous articles on What You Know and Who You Know in the 8 May and 22 May issues, respectively, of the Community Post.  Project Management Professional (PMP)^® credential holders will find more on this topic in the 16 June issue of PMP Passport.