Certified Project managers do all the work related to projects, but they have directors to report to. Introducing Samantha, who is a certified project manager, and talking to her director for the first time.
Concerning the subject of our conversation today, Mr. Director, I will begin with a brief but as detailed as possible introduction of myself and how I see myself in a working nature, and I will be happy to then discuss how we could organize our working relationships together.
My name is Samantha Amber and I am 34 years old. I am a certified project manager. I have experience in different positions and in different industries, which have given me a variety of qualities that support my professional realization and the career path I have taken and am still following.
My education was not strictly specific – I graduated from high school with a “Technological profession with entrepreneurship” and from university with a specialty in “Business Management and Entrepreneurship”. Both majors developed in me the ability to learn, collect and process a lot of information from different fields, and to use my imagination and abilities (a different set of soft skills) rather than being strictly specialized in one area. However, I consider this a strength, as in today’s dynamic world there is an increasing need for people with interdisciplinary knowledge and flexibility in their skills and how they apply them. More on the topic: “How a certified project manager helps the company and its director“, https://eduwiki.me/how-a-certified-project-manager-helps-the-company-and-its-director/
I see myself as a professional who knows his abilities and is always available to help no matter how small or big the task. I am open to learning, acquiring new knowledge and skills, and taking on tasks that challenge my abilities and make me grow. I don’t limit myself to one line of work, but I believe that one should have a wide range of knowledge and experience, so I find it interesting to do things outside my competencies. I always try my best independently to complete everything that is assigned to me, but I am not afraid to ask questions and seek help when I see that I cannot cope or perform the task assigned to me qualitatively. Read more: Reference: “Why do you want to become a Certified Project Manager?“, https://www.kosovatimes.net/why-do-you-want-to-become-a-certified-project-manager/
I have no complaints about the nature of the work either – monotonous and tangible tasks are just as interesting to me as short and dynamic tasks that constantly change my focus. Simply put, I’m extremely flexible in the type of tasks I can do and I’m not afraid to be proactive and take on any kind of task and responsibility. I can even say that I’m more scared of the quiet periods when there is no work and tasks than the ones where I feel overwhelmed with tasks with yesterday’s deadline.
Having said all that, I would like to clarify the boundaries and rules by which we will work together. Do you prefer strict management and regular detailed accountability from me, as well as consulting and coordinating with you on all decisions that need to be made, as well as checking my work before it is submitted? Or do you prefer a policy closer to zero management, in which you give me the freedom to independently take and carry out tasks, and the coordination between us happens based on sporadic meetings or in specific cases/situations? I have experience with both types of management and it will be equally easy for me to fit into each of them, but I will be glad if we have clarified the structure of our relationship in advance so that I can perform my duties as well as possible.
Coming back to the things I can say about myself, I would like to add that I think I have developed a good work discipline, which is helped by my organizational skills and the fact that I work equally well in a team as well as independently. I don’t mind being the center of attention, but I prefer to work behind the scenes, so I’m always open to giving the floor to my team members or taking on tasks, in projects where I don’t have a leading role and just assist.
It’s also important to mention that I love and find it hard not to be comprehensive, so I’d appreciate it if you knew that in your conversations with me, and including the written communication you’ll receive from me, you’ll often be long and wordy. I can be brief when necessary, but more often than not you will receive a large amount of information from me. If you prefer short messages, I can always highlight the most important elements of the information I give or send you only the basics, and at your request, send the full picture of things.
In this regard, I can say for myself that I have good communication skills, communicating equally well both online and offline. I’m equally comfortable either way, but I’d love to know how you would prefer our communication to go. Of course, if there is an internal communication policy, I would be happy to familiarize myself with it and start implementing it in our work together as soon as possible.
If, on the other hand, there is none, then our communication can take place face-to-face, a phone conversation, using a messaging application such as Viber, or using an internal company platform such as Teams. We can also tailor our communication according to the urgency and nature of the subject matter to be discussed. We may have weekly or bi-weekly face-to-face meetings to take stock to date, focus on the next period and current status of tasks; use the phone for high-urgency tasks and viber/Teams (another preferred platform) for more informal inquiries.
I’m open to another model or way of communicating, including maybe trying out a variety of them and seeing what works best for us at this point.
Last but not least, I would like to discuss if you have any specific expectations for me and my work. Is there anything you want to be on my agenda and anything you don’t think should happen? I would be happy to learn my duties and responsibilities from my predecessor or someone else in the same position in the company, but I am also open to learning as much as possible on my own. Where can I find more information about the projects I will be working on, about my clients and colleagues, and the company’s internal rules and policies? I am ready to work together so that my appointment becomes an asset to the company and I will be glad if we can make it so that I can integrate into the work of the company as soon as possible and find participation in the work processes almost indispensable.
I’d be happy if you could share with me any advice from your work so far that you would have liked to have received when you started here.
Thank you for your time today, I think this type of meeting is really useful and I would sincerely appreciate it if you have any criticisms or advice on my work, always feel free to discuss them with me. As I have mentioned more than once, I am flexible in my work and sometimes I just need someone to guide me on what the expected results are for me to achieve them.