Who Is an Experienced Project Manager?
By Mariusz Zielinski
An experienced Project Manager is someone who:
- should never be surprised, but s/he usually is… (otherwise the job is extremely boring)
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should never complain no matter how challenging the project is.
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must successfully finalize the project and know that nobody really cares how s/he did it.
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delivers projects in a way to satisfy as many stakeholders as possible.
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always works in a “difficult environment”.
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knows what the best process for his/her company should look like (although usually the company supports a totally different process).
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knows that “successful project” has many meanings.
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knows that the triangle of cost, resources, and scope is too good (and easy) to be true and that the stakeholders always assume that corners can be changed independently.
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says about the scope “it is difficult” instead of “not possible”.
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says about the time “it is aggressive” instead of “not possible”.
Mariusz Zielinski is a project manager at Samsung Electronics R&D. Create software for digital TV receivers (STB & PVR). Previously he co-founded SCMA Company and was the author of software for security and protection centers. He also managed a mobile robot project for Polish Astronautics Society (PTA) and led a team of developers of a computer game, “Tridonis”. Mariusz graduated with a Master of Science degree from University of Gdansk and has completed post-graduate studies for IT Project Managers at the Warsaw University of Technology.
His blog: Manage Yourself first
An EXPERIENCED Project Manager is one that has managed lots of projects. Not to be confused with a GOOD Project Manager.
One of the attributes of a GOOD Project Manager is the ability to communicate effectively… ;)
I totally disagree with “should never complain no matter how challenging the project is.”
I hear this to be saying “no matter how much experience or how senior a project manager is, they must accept their subservient role and never try to act as a change agent or business leader.”
Gordon,
You are right.
EXPERIENCED not means automatically GOOD.
And effective communication is the key role of the PM.
CAP,
PM always should try to change project environment around and adjust it to the project. Not only project to the Environment. (Same with stakeholders, customizes, etc…)
Nevertheless, whatever result is, at the end of the day he is captain and should never cry.