How to Establish a Successful R&D Career In 2014
Indeed, a Career in R&D is one of the most lucrative fields that attract millions of job seekers from all across the globe. So, what does it take to be a successful R&D manager? Managers in this niche are tasked with many responsibilities that have to be perfectly executed at all times. Here are some virtues that you will need to join the elite group in this field.
Time Management:
Time is one of the most important resources in the world that one has to learn how to manage properly. In order to complete tasks and projects assigned to you in time, you have to first determine the amount of time required to complete each individual task. This will help you create a comprehensive and achievable work plan or road mark. More often than not, some changes may need to be incorporated in the project after the launch. How you handle this project scope will determine the quality of your managerial skills. Hence, it is recommendable to leave enough room for such changes in your scope to avert delays and inconveniences.
Adhere to project budget:
Each project has its own budget. At times, the expenses may exceed the set limits. To avoid such occurrences, one needs to come up with a realistic project budget that is capable of meeting the unexpected costs without significantly impacting the progress of the project. A sure way of creating a realistic budget is by developing cost estimates for each task. Also, track your expenditure so as to know when your team exceeds the set budget. However, if over-spending is inevitable, determine other areas that you may under-spend in to keep the project running.
Achieve long-term and short-term goals:
While it is important to ensure that the project remains on schedule, managers have to ensure that they achieve short and long term goals. Use these goals to assess the progress and uncover any shortcomings that may be hampering the project from attaining success. To achieve this, one needs to create a detailed list of all the requirements before the start of the project. Any changes in project goals should be communicated to the project stakeholders on time.
Meet stakeholder’s requirements:
Who is a stakeholder? This is anyone who is interested or affected by the project in one way or another. In a typical R&D project, they include plant engineers, salespersons, marketing managers, suppliers, customers and high-level managers such as research managers. Meeting their specific requirements will help in fostering team work in the organization.
Build and Maintain productive team work:
One of the sure ways of building and maintaining a productive team work is by assigning each team member tasks that are in line with their specific strengths and capabilities. The team members need to be flexible and compatible so as to perform well in individual and team tasks. As an R&D expert, it is important to motivate team members as well as build their skills by encouraging them to attend various capacity building events such as seminars. This will greatly help to ensure that they remain focused and committed to the project. Also, it’s important to develop a direct communication platform that all team members can use to exchange or share ideas as they carry out their daily obligations.
Seek additional skills:
To establish yourself as an authoritative R&D Manager, you have to always seek development avenues that can hone your managerial skills. This will greatly help you make informed decisions and remain proactive at all times. Networking and outsourcing with other experts in this field can also equip you with crucial information and skills that will go a long way in making you a better manager.
Start building your professional career in R&D management today to achieve your life goals.
