A Brief Guide to Digital Resources for Project Management Beginners

Project management is a crucial practice for teams in organizations to complete tasks and achieve set goals efficiently. However, as work becomes increasingly digital, establishing effective project management can be overwhelming.

Organizations prioritizing power skills tend to perform better

According to an annual survey from the Project Management Institute, a focus on power skills is necessary to navigate this changing world of work and establish smarter ways of working. These power skills include communication, problem-solving, collaborative leadership, and strategic thinking.

The survey found that organizations prioritizing power skills tend to perform better and meet success, with 72% successfully meeting business goals as a result and 17% experiencing less budget loss when a project fails. For teams to foster effective project management and practice these power skills, it's essential to adapt and use the many digital resources available. Below, we'll look through some essential digital resources for project management beginners:

Digital libraries

For those new to the concept and practice of project management, it can help to learn from the best and those who are qualified. Digital library Everand offers various materials, ranging from ebooks and audiobooks to podcasts. Today, the platform is home to millions of valuable and insightful materials, including project management essentials that help introduce and develop the basics and concepts of project management, like Markus Heimrath's Agile Project Management.

Digital libraries also offer flexibility in formats, so if you have trouble scheduling your reading and study time, you can fit in audiobooks like Harvard Business Review's Project Management Handbook. If inclined, you can also listen to thousands of podcast episodes on project management for a more applied, relatable, and practical approach to the concept.

Certifications

Another key digital resource, of course, is certifications. In a competitive job market, professional certification programs can help you stand out from your colleagues and competitors by developing your project management skills. In our post titled "A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Certification Program", we highlighted how certifications can help advance your career trajectory and offer a solid return on investment in the long term. More importantly, the right certification can help increase your competitiveness.

For example, some employers and organizations prioritize candidates and employees with qualified certifications for higher pay and better opportunities. If you're unsure or overwhelmed by the amount of project management certifications out there, IQBMI® can help you connect with the right certification programs and high-quality training wherever you are.

Platforms and software

Finally, the best way to learn project management as a beginner is to learn how some of the tools work. In this digital age, most project management work is handled digitally and online to facilitate real-time collaboration and team communication. This spans from more general and basic tools like Google Sheets — which can be used to track progress and accountability in a project — to full-blown project management software.

Nowadays, many professional project management software like Asana also make use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to smoothen workflow and create a more intuitive project management experience. Asana's newest AI features include productivity-centered generative AI and aim to expand to other AI abilities, such as creating comprehensive status updates for ongoing projects based on real-time work data.

Ultimately, there are a variety of digital resources and tools beginners can make use of to learn the ins and outs of project management and develop their skills over time. At the same time, it's important to note that these are mere tools and resources and that a blend of human skills — like the power skills discussed in our introduction — is still needed to succeed in the field. Aside from being digitally adept, for example, good project managers should also master power skills like communication and collaborative leadership to ensure teams remain accountable and focused on their goals.

 

Article Contributed by Emma Johnson