Things a Project Manager Can Learn from an Artist

You would think that artists and project managers are at the two ends of the spectrum and do not have much in common, let alone picking up interesting tricks and tips from each other. It’s understandable if you think that way as the basic premise of operation of project managers and artists are very different, which may have prompted the notion.

While project managers are all about driving results, artists are about the work that goes into it and the process of making art itself. Even so, you’ll be surprised to know that there are many pointers that project managers can pick up from artists. Here are some of them.

Brainstorm ideas

This is probably the first step in any art project. Artists spend a good chunk of their time brainstorming ideas and develop them into concepts, before they can create it. The same technique can prove to be helpful for project managers. Project managers will have to think out of the box and brainstorm solutions one the spot when a problem comes knocking. Being able to get a bird’s view of the problem at hand, and then brainstorming solutions can helps set a project back on track.

Have a clear vision

An artist always starts out any piece with a vision, whether it is with regards to the message it is supposed to convey or the emotions that it is supposed to evoke. A clear vision of the goals is equally important for project managers. Often a hazy vision can make a project manager sideline projects that are adding value to the company’s core motives, and take on irrelevant assignments that consume both key resources and time. In turn maintaining a project portfolio that is in line with corporate vision, adds more value in the long run.

Attention to detail

Look at a good piece of art and you know that it has been done with great dexterity and attention-to-detail. That’s where successful projects start too. Project managers need to have a keen sense of detail while handling a vast portfolio of projects to be able to anticipate possible risk factors and mitigate the same. Attention-to-detail is also necessary while evaluating project performance, to ensure that they are being implemented in the right manner and heading in the desired trajectory.

Project managers and artists do have a lot more in common than just managing portfolios, now don’t they?