Comments on: What’s the point of project managers? http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/whats-the-point-of-project-managers Your own project management guide Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:17:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Chris Phillips-Maund http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/whats-the-point-of-project-managers#comment-2089 Chris Phillips-Maund Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:18:03 +0000 http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/?p=127#comment-2089 When I first started in industry 20+ years I was a software engineer. I became a very competent engineer and then decided to make the transition to project management. Did I project manage my first assignments? No - as I was too competent in the detail and not competent enough in project management. It was only when I was able to delegate and empower my team(s) was I able to learn how to become a competent project manager. I have been managing projects for 15+ years now. A large number of people who have 'project manager'in their job title are content specialists and have been promoted to be project managers, but they are not project managers in the sense they have PM skills and competences. Of the number of projects that fail each year I would be interested to know how many are managed by content specialists and project managers - and would the definition of success / fail be different? A major competence of project management is stakeholder management, so a good content specialist with good stakeholder skills could be perceived as a 'goog'project manager? I have debated this point with a number of content specialists and they would freely admit they don't have project management skills to the level of a competent project manager. I would also say a number of project managers do not have what I would call a high-competence level in the finer project management skills. As a project management consultant I am expected to know the latest fads and the finer skills of being a project manager plus also understanding what skills to use when and where in order to deliver. An intersting debate. There is a clear need for seperation between content and project management but what level of competence should a project manager have? In some organisations having a high-level of project management competence can be a disadvantage as others may find it intimidating.... Chris When I first started in industry 20+ years I was a software engineer. I became a very competent engineer and then decided to make the transition to project management. Did I project manage my first assignments? No - as I was too competent in the detail and not competent enough in project management.
It was only when I was able to delegate and empower my team(s) was I able to learn how to become a competent project manager. I have been managing projects for 15+ years now.
A large number of people who have ‘project manager’in their job title are content specialists and have been promoted to be project managers, but they are not project managers in the sense they have PM skills and competences.

Of the number of projects that fail each year I would be interested to know how many are managed by content specialists and project managers - and would the definition of success / fail be different? A major competence of project management is stakeholder management, so a good content specialist with good stakeholder skills could be perceived as a ‘goog’project manager?

I have debated this point with a number of content specialists and they would freely admit they don’t have project management skills to the level of a competent project manager. I would also say a number of project managers do not have what I would call a high-competence level in the finer project management skills. As a project management consultant I am expected to know the latest fads and the finer skills of being a project manager plus also understanding what skills to use when and where in order to deliver.

An intersting debate. There is a clear need for seperation between content and project management but what level of competence should a project manager have? In some organisations having a high-level of project management competence can be a disadvantage as others may find it intimidating….

Chris

]]> By: Jez Lister http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/whats-the-point-of-project-managers#comment-2040 Jez Lister Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:02:51 +0000 http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/?p=127#comment-2040 This a very interesting point albeit tongue in cheek. Mike N is correct of course. The role you describe is focussed on one particular work package - to use a PRINCE2 term. The project manager is like the conductor in the orchestra who Directs the whole ensemble. The individual work package owners or team leaders are unable to see the whole because they need to be focussed on the detail of one particular area. The Project Manager on the other hand is the glue that holds it all together. I hope this is OK as a starter for 10. This a very interesting point albeit tongue in cheek. Mike N is correct of course. The role you describe is focussed on one particular work package - to use a PRINCE2 term. The project manager is like the conductor in the orchestra who Directs the whole ensemble. The individual work package owners or team leaders are unable to see the whole because they need to be focussed on the detail of one particular area. The Project Manager on the other hand is the glue that holds it all together.
I hope this is OK as a starter for 10.

]]> By: Mike N http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/whats-the-point-of-project-managers#comment-2022 Mike N Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:54:42 +0000 http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/?p=127#comment-2022 What you describe seems to be team managers, and is kind of the point of Project Management - you delegate and keep control. One area can affect another area, and somebody needs to make sure the whole is managed rather than just the sum of its parts. In PRINCE2 terms what you're talking about is simply allocating work packages, surely. What you describe seems to be team managers, and is kind of the point of Project Management - you delegate and keep control. One area can affect another area, and somebody needs to make sure the whole is managed rather than just the sum of its parts. In PRINCE2 terms what you’re talking about is simply allocating work packages, surely.

]]> By: El jefe de proyecto debe conocer la tecnología… « LegnitaPress http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/whats-the-point-of-project-managers#comment-1984 El jefe de proyecto debe conocer la tecnología… « LegnitaPress Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:36:30 +0000 http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/?p=127#comment-1984 [...] What’s the point of project managers? [...] [...] What’s the point of project managers? [...]

]]> By: Eugenio Magnone http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/whats-the-point-of-project-managers#comment-1950 Eugenio Magnone Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:31:32 +0000 http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/?p=127#comment-1950 Scattered bright and colorful peebles do not create a mosaic. Scattered bright and colorful peebles do not create a mosaic.

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