As International Project Management Day approaches, and to kick off the launch of our industry first project management program – The Entrepreneurial Project Manager : Thinking Beyond the Process we thought we would do a weekly countdown of our top 5 Project Management Hits and Myths.
Coming in at Number 5 – Project Managers must be willing to wear multiple hats.
At AILE we believe this one is a hit! Every PM knows that you need more than one hat to be an effective PM. Especially with the Melbourne Cup almost here.
So here is our guide as to what hat to where, why and when.
- Baseball cap – Perfect for those times when you are trying to look chilled, and even better for keeping your head down so no one is sure it’s you.
- Fascinator – The best option for your next Steering Committee meeting. It distracts from the point in question as your Committee will be ‘fascinated’ by your choice of head wear.
- Bowler hat – For when you want to look as if you mean business, have everything under control, or are a time traveller from a bygone era.
- Halo Hat – Yes it’s true there is one and it’s power cannot be underestimated! It frames the face and creates a halo or aureole effect and is ideal for breaking bad news or deflecting it onto others!
- Motarboard – Useful when you are trying to appear educated while posing a dumb idea to the team.
- Sombrero – Although not formal PPE these are perfect sun protection and for catch forty winks – just make sure no one is watching.
- Hard Hat – A great piece of PPE equipment and can be useful for deflecting the hard knocks of project management. Experienced PM’s also know this is a key accessory for those challenging stakeholder meetings.
- Beanie – If you have resorted to wearing this in your management meetings and you are not caught in an artic blast, this may indicate you have given up trying and may have trouble convincing anyone of anything!
- Akubra – Great for displaying authentic leadership, plain talking, and taking no nonsense from stakeholders.
- Party Hat – Can be worn to celebrate any major milestone, event and/or a successful project. Just don’t put it on too early, otherwise you may get a cream cake in your face!
- Top Hat – This has to be your project management hat, it also shows you are at the ‘top’ of your game
If you want to learn more about the type of hats Project Managers are wearing today and into the future why not join us for the Entrepreneurial Project Manager.