I recently gave a presentation at PMI San Diego’s conference about how to “stand out” as a Project Manager.  We all want to “stand out”: to be looked up to as the expert in our fields, be first in line for a promotion, get the coolest opportunities, and work on the best projects.  But, how exactly do we become the expert?  

Many of us as Project Managers are champions for process improvement and organizational maturity.  We look for ways to get those around us to document their “tribal knowledge” or “lessons learned” for the good of the organization and team.  However, most of us are guilty of keeping our own “tribal knowledge” in our heads.  We do this to the detriment of our teams, companies, and our own careers.

Regardless of whether you are a Project Manager or hold an entirely different role in an organization, I encourage you to put your knowledge on paper.  It doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task - write a short article, blog post, response to someone else’s blog, company newsletter, etc.  When we share our knowledge with others, we showcase our talents and experience and, thereby, start to demonstrate expertise in our field.  We are all experts in something - It’s time to share that knowledge with others.

Don’t know what to write about?  It doesn’t have to be a stressful exercise or require a lot of preparation and research (though that is great too).  I like to start by asking, “What would ‘me from 10 years ago’ wish they knew?”  Other topics that are easy to begin writing about are things like:

• What’s it like in my day-to-day job or in my industry?  
• What does it take to get into a role like this?  How did I get into this role / industry?
• What do I love most about this job or career path?
• What habits, skills, or best practices make someone in this role successful?
• What are the biggest lessons I have learned (whether on a particular project or in my overall career)?
• What information can I share that would be helpful to someone new in a particular industry or role?
• What’s the funniest / most challenging / surprising / greatest learning experience I have ever encountered? 
• Who or what has impacted my career the most and why?

If you speak genuinely, you show people that you too have made mistakes and learned from them.  As a result, you will grab people’s attention and begin to “stand out” in your industry.  We all have valuable information stored away in our heads, and people love to hear stories.  Why not share yours with others?  How many cool projects, events, or other important lessons have you kept to yourself and not shared with someone that could benefit from your knowledge?