I did the chart and surprisingly got a similar readout as you. As someone with ADHD, I wonder if having ADHD predisposes us to gravitate towards certain experiences and avoid others.
I have somewhat of a plan to address my weaknesses as far as taking additional online courses to fill in my knowledge gaps, along with conducting mock interviews to sharpen my ability to communicate what type of PM I am and the value I bring to a role.
Also, last week, I was inspired to ask my friends on social media what my strengths are to get an idea of what they thought. Their comments were reassuring. That said, I feel like I forget and need to be reminded to feel confident in what I bring to the table.
I think it would be smart for me to write what they said down and put it in front of me on my computer desk so that I can look at it when I start feeling insecure.
That's great that it helped and you got helpful feedback from your peers.
To your question about ADHD and predisposition, I don't think so. ADHD presents so differently depending on the type and gender.
I hypothesize, it really depends on what engages your ADHD brain. Mine engages with talking to people. For others its numbers. I suck at numbers and become inattentive. We're predisposed to getting what our brain wants, but we all have different brains.
I'd check out the book ADHD 2.0 if you'd like to know more about the science behind ADHD.
Thanks for your continued engagement with the blog. It's great to talk.
That's a great point to add Ron. 100% agree. I want to add more for readers that might think, "Can I never work at a startup?" I
I think that with the right motivation or circumstances, a specialized PM, especially with ADHD, can be a generalist PM. Being a specialized vs general PM can be a fluid state.
For my next "day job" role I am concentrating on specialized PM roles. I may doubt my abilities as generalist. However, I remind myself that I can be a generalist PM. I have been in the past and I do it everyday for the companies I own. It's not a matter of weakness, but of fit.
To me, all scenarios lead to your last point of "Matching your strengths to the org’s business needs is critical."
👏👏👏Great information Rawi. Thanks for sharing!
I did the chart and surprisingly got a similar readout as you. As someone with ADHD, I wonder if having ADHD predisposes us to gravitate towards certain experiences and avoid others.
I have somewhat of a plan to address my weaknesses as far as taking additional online courses to fill in my knowledge gaps, along with conducting mock interviews to sharpen my ability to communicate what type of PM I am and the value I bring to a role.
Also, last week, I was inspired to ask my friends on social media what my strengths are to get an idea of what they thought. Their comments were reassuring. That said, I feel like I forget and need to be reminded to feel confident in what I bring to the table.
I think it would be smart for me to write what they said down and put it in front of me on my computer desk so that I can look at it when I start feeling insecure.
That's great that it helped and you got helpful feedback from your peers.
To your question about ADHD and predisposition, I don't think so. ADHD presents so differently depending on the type and gender.
I hypothesize, it really depends on what engages your ADHD brain. Mine engages with talking to people. For others its numbers. I suck at numbers and become inattentive. We're predisposed to getting what our brain wants, but we all have different brains.
I'd check out the book ADHD 2.0 if you'd like to know more about the science behind ADHD.
Thanks for your continued engagement with the blog. It's great to talk.
That's a great point to add Ron. 100% agree. I want to add more for readers that might think, "Can I never work at a startup?" I
I think that with the right motivation or circumstances, a specialized PM, especially with ADHD, can be a generalist PM. Being a specialized vs general PM can be a fluid state.
For my next "day job" role I am concentrating on specialized PM roles. I may doubt my abilities as generalist. However, I remind myself that I can be a generalist PM. I have been in the past and I do it everyday for the companies I own. It's not a matter of weakness, but of fit.
To me, all scenarios lead to your last point of "Matching your strengths to the org’s business needs is critical."
Thanks again for reading and adding your voice.