Q&A with Abubaker M. Muzzamil, Outreach Program Account Manager @ The Projects Management institute – UAE Chapter
How could you describe your career path in a few words?
Surely it wasn't a walk in the park, it required discipline and patience from day 1, it had many ups and downs along the way, but Consistency is Vital to gaining the breakthrough I always waited for. Surely it had those days where you can question your capabilities, nevertheless; the end result was the main driver of my attitude, fuelling my motivation to wake up every day at 6:00 A.M and pursue my career. To sum up, my career path can be described as satisfactory.
What was your most challenging experience, and it has changed your mindset?
Challenges are what lead to a compiled experience, in my work environment in projects management; not a single day passes without a new challenge arising (that itself could be considered a challenge), How to stay calm, and control your well-being every day is the mindset necessary to be developed, obtained, and fostered Regular, effective communication & delivering the right information to the right destination can be challenging to many new career aspirants, but the key is always to be constant in developing your skill set and tools and utilizing them when necessary. Conflict Management is one of the hardest skills to master, understanding your organization’s Political hierarchy & flow of influence is important when encountering posing points of view, reaching a consensus agreement is often more favourable than pushing one point of view over another.
When you get surprised by an unusual or uncertain context, what do you think?
Taking a step back and examining the impact would be the first step to reacting, taking action with uncertainty can lead to more negative consequences, so answering the following questions can be helpful:
What is the impact?
Is it Negative? Could there be any positive turn from it?
What is the root of the cause?
What are the options available that address the root cause?
How can we prevent or respond more efficiently in the future?
What’s the most important key success factor for you based on your experience?
Gaining Experience Through Constant Practice, Repetitions & Small developmental gains in my opinion is the key success factor I benefited from the most, what seemed to be a Complex process 5 years ago is nothing but a daily task today that can be delivered in a much smaller time frame, by which I can free up more time for Developing extra Skill and knowledge in a different area. Let's not forget what I call (The Power of habit), meaning to train your subconscious to develop healthy habits that you get comfortable completing daily, and feel those small senses of victory more frequent and regular. Also, regarding personal Time Management, every human has 24 hrs a day (Not less, not more), Deducting 7 hrs of sleep, you get about 16 - 17hrs of effective time daily, how you spend, Distribute, and manage the available time you have, is a key success factor & could be a deal breaker for your goals.
What would be the major pitfall that may undermine the success of a leader?
Without question, it will be a non-effective communication strategy, failing to communicate and understand your team, your executive management, and your peers is the recipe for Impacting your Role Negatively.
