In February, I was invited to give an address and hand out awards at the annual graduation ceremony for the Diploma in Project Management at Cork Institute of Technology.
It was a pleasure to do so, and get the opportunity to meet so many people who put in a huge effort to achieve their qualification. The CIT Diploma is not targeted at undergraduates – it is a part-time course (two days per month, over seven months) and the people on the course are typically working full-time jobs, who are seeking to build up their capabilities and career options, augmenting their existing qualifications with a respected qualification in Project Management.
It is no joke to take on an educational qualification while also holding down a demanding job and balancing domestic responsibilities. It forces people to be organised and efficient in their allocation of time. Maybe it’s why many of these people like to study Project Management – they are a natural fit!
As I looked around the room, it was great to see the level of pride expressed by the family members who accompanied the graduates to honour, recognise and celebrate their achievements. People brought along their children, their parents, their partners, etc.
I know that in order to take time to study over weekends, the daily family responsibilities did not magically disappear – other family members or friends stepped up and helped out. It was heartening to see the graduates give a loud round of applause to all those people in their lives who helped them to successfully complete the Diploma.
Additionally, what struck me was the old African proverb – ‘to go fast go alone, but to go far bring a team’. None of the graduates completed their achievement alone. Every single one of them had the support of their families, colleagues, friends and of one another.
In my role as President of the Ireland Chapter PMI, it is a proverb I need to remember. When working in a voluntary organisation, it can be tempting to do things yourself, in order to achieve the fastest results. However, in order to build up an organisation’s long-term capability, it is important to build a team. A good team will always be far more capable that any one individual — no matter how efficient that individual is.
A huge congratulations to everyone who received their Diploma!
For those who may be interested in this course, the next cohort of the CIT Diploma in Project Management, starting 22nd March 2019, is taking in applications now. For more information, or to apply for the course, visit the course page here: http://bit.ly/2SHJlW6
Author: Pat Lucey, CEO, Aspira