Karen White: The Power of Project Management
Karen White: The Power of Project Management
Meet Karen White, UNH College of Professional Studies program director, senior online faculty member, and past president of the NH Chapter of the Project Management Institute. She shares why project management is essential for today’s organizations, and how professionals can thrive in this growing field.
What do you enjoy most about teaching Project Management?
Project management itself is fun to teach, especially with working adults who bring diverse experiences into the discussions. That said. my greatest joy occurs when I hear of students’ achievements, be it trying something from the course that they successfully apply within their current position, passing the PMP Certification exam or landing that first project management position after retiring from the military.
Who is the "right fit" for a project manager role?
An attention to detail, while keeping the “big picture” in mind. Project managers have many activities to stay on top of, and the ability to prioritize them is necessary to maintain sanity. Strong leadership skills are also needed. The project manager does not “manage” the project team; rather, they manage the project but LEAD the project team members. I often say the more successful project managers with whom I have worked are those coming out of the military. They get that leadership aspect.
Why do you think Project Management is such a critical discipline in today’s organizations?
Project Management is a critical discipline in today's organizations as it enables them to deliver results, manage risk, and allocate resources effectively in a rapidly changing business environment. By ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of stakeholders, organizations can adapt quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs. Organizations that excel in Project Management are better equipped to deliver high-quality projects, meet customer expectations, and drive business success.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing organizations today, and what are five top ways that Project Management expertise elevates their career?
Today’s organizations are challenged by a faster market pace, scarce resources, increased global competition, and rapidly changing technology.
Project managers can play a crucial role in assisting with these challenges by becoming adept at five specific skills.
Become business savvy. It is no longer sufficient to merely generate schedules, hold status meetings, and so forth. The project manager needs to be a partner with the project’s business sponsor to ensure the desired business outcomes are achieved.
Be comfortable with their communication skills, both written and verbal. They will be communicating on a regular basis with organizational leadership at all levels, external stakeholders and of course, their project team members.
Become familiar with the various AI tools that are emerging and understand how they might be put to use within your project, to assist you and your team members to be more effective in their roles.
Project managers need to stay current with the profession. As in other professions, project management and its related topics (i.e, project controls, project portfolio management, program management) continue to evolve in pace with the global needs of organizations. This includes introducing new techniques to apply within projects to new technologies to embrace.
Develop a high emotional intelligence quotient. Project management is all about people and how they are led to accomplish a common goal. The successful project manager makes the time to truly know their team members, to be able to provide coaching and/or encouragement when necessary. They know how to recognize performance and how to assist in improving performance.
What’s one piece of advice you give students who are pursuing careers in project management?
Network and find mentors! Much of my project management learning over the years has been acquired through the members of my network. Although I spent years as an IT person, I learned so much about project management, stakeholder management, and surviving corporate politics from friends within the pharmaceutical and construction engineering industries. I was fortunate to have two mentors over my 30+ years, both managed large complex programs with significant amounts of subcontract and government oversight and funding issues. Their support was invaluable.
Learn More about Our Project Management Programs:
B.S. Business Management: Project Maangement
m.s. project management
Project Management graduate certificate