Project Management
Networking PSE’S CORRESPONDENT ALEXANDER MATTHEY, PMP
H
AVE YOU FOUND YOURSELF unexpectedly out of a job in recessionary times? Were you requested to deliver something “tomorrow” in an area you have not mastered? And in both cases, were you able to draw support from your existing network At the moment a challenge arises, if you have not already started building and relying on your network, If you have not already taken the opportunity to be someone else’s lifeline in times of trouble, it may be too late to avoid a career-limiting setback. The time to build your network and become an active participant in it is yesterday. As a Project Manager (PM), you may have little to no formal authority, yet you still have great accountability. To be successful in influencing the whole team, you need to set a precedent, to establish a pattern of cooperation and success. Talent and knowledge are a start, but a network of supportive individuals is invalu-