One thought provoking blogger that I follow is Seth Godin. For those not familiar – he writes short and succinct articles about business development.
Since my websites are my business – some of his ideas are very helpful to me.
Today he wrote a piece called “The Difference Between Running and Managing a Project“. We all know the difference, of course. But it is nice to be reminded of those responsibilities – especially when the going gets tough. The key distinction between the two is that project management involves reporting to someone else – while running a project means you are in it for yourself.
It is also the difference between owning a business and working for someone else.
The problem for me is that I am not a very good boss of myself. If another person gave me a job to do – I would take it and run with it. My motivation would be to impress – to show that I was ready for greater responsibility.
But working for myself means that I am accountable to myself. And when one project is finished then creating the next one is up to me.
If I am not careful – I end up with a dozen abandoned endeavors all in various stages of completion. The result is nothing – with a lot of time wasted in between.
Do you feel that your project management skills are serving you well in your own internet business? What areas do you struggle with the most?
photo by Marcin Wichary
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree, while I’m my own boss on my website and in my freelance writing, it can be really hard to keep myself motivated. Most projects get done, they’re just taking various amounts of time.
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Heligirl ~
That is my problem too. Short attention span. I start something and am all gung ho for awhile. Then before I finish I start something new. I need to force myself to see things through.