High Performing Business – Planning – Research
Michelle LaBrosse, CCPM, PMP, PMI-ACP, RYT
When I was an Air Force Officer, I was stationed at the Aeronautical Systems Division and worked in the office for Electronic Warfare and Countermeasures. We were responsible for upgrading the electronic warfare systems on existing aircraft. Part of our duties were to write Request for Proposals (RFP’s) for the new technology upgrades. During the planning stages of these types of projects, we would research previous RFP’s. We used this information to make sure we created a comprehensive RFP for the new system, or at least one that would satisfy our superiors.
I was thinking about the research elements of planning this morning as I embark on an idea I had to help a friend develop commercial markets for her photography. I have no idea how to develop commercial markets for art. We are in the very early planning stages of this project, so much research is required to even create the plan for marketing her artwork commercially. Yet most projects start out this way – when you need to research what is even involved in the planning elements. But there is a time when the research is over and you just have to take a stab at what it is you are trying to do. The more research you do, the more you move out of the dark and into the light of what is required, the more likely it is the project plan will be something that achieves it’s objectives.
There is no shame in not knowing. The shame comes from not doing your research on what is required. The same is true of what is required to become a Project Management Professional (PMP). Do your research on what is required for becoming a PMP by downloading Cheetah’s Smartstart Guide for the PMP.
