You don’t have to have all the answers you just need to know where to look to get the answers.

I have been in the Information communication and technology industry for 20 going on 21 years this year.

When I first started working in ICT I was 21 and did not know anything about computers apart from what my partner at the time had shown me and I started a diploma of IT at a TAFE and got part way through that when I got an IT traineeship with the government and I have been in ICT ever since.

Contrary to what people say you don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to have all the answers to be in the ICT industry as it is an ever growing and ever evolving industry which makes it very challenging at times.  I do love that challenge though as it has helped me to grow and change personally as a person.

During my time in this industry, I have contracted to multiple large private and government organisations in Brisbane and here in Melbourne where I now live. I have found my way around multiple different systems processes and so forth to do my job for those companies and have played with the hardware and software components including multiple different networks and operating systems and standard operating environments.

I have now been in project management in ICT for 10 going on 11 years as of May this year.  I have managed multiple different types of IT, business transformation, communication, network infrastructure and data centre refresh projects.  I am now managing project in a specialise development field (Adobe cloud, campaign, forms, experience manager and asset management).

Until is started working for this company I work for now I used to think that the Project manager needed to do things perfectly and know everything.  With this role I changed things a little because I did not know much about the specialised field, I was working in so I started to engage with people more to learn more about the project and what the resources do.

I implemented a strategy of asking for help when I did not know something, and I engaged with my managers when I could see a risk was going to turn into an issue rather than when it became an issue.  When people and things challenged me, I would seek advice and guidance from those above me who could help me see things differently and who could show me other options.

My current manager told me the other day that the one thing he likes most about me is that I am so easy to give feedback to as I will immediately implement the feedback and I am flexible in my ways.  I love to collaborate with my team and the clients as it not only helps me, but it also helps them.

Perfectionism doesn’t exist and does not belong in any industry let alone one that is constantly evolving all the time. If you don’t ask for help or collaborate with people you will get left behind.

Good open honest communication with managers, team members and clients is what is best when you are project manager.  When you use good open honest communication with people you earn their respect and they then want to work with you.

The points I am getting at here is:

• Don’t be afraid to not have all the answers.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Don’t take all the burden of the issues if you can escalate up and get the issue resolved sooner
• Don’t be afraid to communicate with and ask for guidance from others on the challenges you are facing as they will more than likely have a different view or perspective on it and may be able to help you see and think about things differently.
• Being in a senior role doesn’t mean you are perfect, and you have all the answers because you quite simply don’t. ©

Copyright © 2022 Lynette Diehm.

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