Do Project Managers Need to Know Content?
Do Project Managers Need to Know Content?
By Kerry Wills
There is a common viewpoint that Project Management skills are transferable across industries, companies and types of work. I do subscribe to this belief to a point. Project Managers need to have the fundamentals of estimating, planning, resource management, communications, risk management and issue management to name a few. A Project Manager can focus on managing the project and defer any content-related topics to the team. However, I believe that it is important for a Project Manager to also understand the content so that linkages and decisions can be made quicker.
PMs have a perspective that spans across the projects and therefore they have the ability to see implications and impacts that team members may not be able to see individually. They are also held accountable for the overall outcome of the project. Therefore I do think that they need to have a knowledge of both the business content and the technical solutions.
On my own projects I set up time with the Business Analysts to review requirement documentation. I also sit with the technical team to understand the systems and technical solution being implemented. I have found this very useful in working sessions so that I understand what is being said as well as can poke at potential issues and risks. I also believe that being able to speak the language of the business and technical teams adds credibility for a Project Manager.
What do others think?
Kerry Wills is a proven Program Manager/Portfolio Manager with an extensive background in Project Management, consulting, and application development. Kerry has consistently demonstrated the ability to plan and implement large and complex projects on time and on/under budget. Kerry runs a blog, Adventures in Project Management.
Kerry,
Would a PM working in IT be able to apply her estimating skills at a nuclear power plant site?
How about a PM in a social services provider applying risk management processes in manned spaceflight?
In theory a Project Manager is a Project Manager is a Project Manager.
In practice – if I had to choose for my IT Project between a Project Manager with IT experience to one with Engineering experience – who do you think I’m going to take?
I agree with both comments. There needs to be a level of fundamentals which are then complimented with empirical knowledge of the business and the area of development (e.g. IT, nuclear plant, etc). Thanks for the posts
I believe that content knowledge is essential to establishing trust, which is a major factor in project success. I described this very thing in an article about “the trust factor” in project management just a couple of weeks ago at http://blog.thekelsogroup.com/index.php/project-management-fundamentals-trust
Skills are definitely transferable. I moved from Construction PM to IT PM. Sure, I had to learn (a LOT!) but I think it has been a very successful transition. You can learn as you go as long as the team you work with is amicable to responding to your (perhaps dumb!) questions. I’ve been fortunate to work with folks who take the time to explain things when I don’t understand them.
More important than knowing the content is detail is knowing what questions to ask so you know enough to move the project in the right direction.
@Glenn – many industries have dedicated Estimators. Estimating is often (and should be, depending of course on project budget) an entirely different job from PM.
@Shim in general I agree, but certainly there are some crappy IT project managers and kick-ass Engineering PM’s who you’d rather have the engineering PM do your IT project, or vice-versa. If all other things are equal, then yes I’d rather have the guy with the experience in the subject.
Not to say subject matter expertise doesn’t help. It definitely does. I’m only saying that the PM role is most definitely transferable.