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Is it Mandatory for a Project Manager to be Technical?

Written by: Jon Hansen

Article Overview: Member Question: There are mixed opinions, some believe that a Project Manager needs to be very strong Technically (e.g. Java, Mainframe, DW) others believe that a Project Manager needs to be strong in Management skills like Planning, Organizing, Directing, Contolling etc. and it is good to have a Technical background. Question Submitted By: Abhijit Ganguly, PMP, MPM, MBA Project Manager United Health Group Gurgaon

Is it Mandatory for a Project Manager to be Technical?

While a "working" technical understanding is beneficial, the ability to communicate and coordinate diverse stakeholder interaction is critical.

Unfortunately, and like a politician stumping for votes, proclamations by senior executives (and many industry pundits) that “people” and “not technology” are what is “important” rarely translates from the realm of oratory pontification into meaningful real-world application.

This is due in large part to the fact that outside of the framework of political correctness, communication as Bill McAneny offered in his book Frankenstein’s Manager – Leadership’s Missing Links is actually a desire and not a skill. A skill that is in short supply according to his findings. In fact, second only to the ubiquitous lack of people skills complaint, ineffective communication said McAneny is the most common charge leveled at an organization’s leadership.

As a result, observations such as those made in reports like the ISM, CAPS and A.T. Kearney collaboration (Succeeding in a Dynamic World: Supply Management in the Decade Ahead) are in reality hollow expressions of an ideal that few actually pursue.

In reality, and similar to attracting and retaining talent, effective project management begins and ends with the pre-existence of firmly established core values and a clearly defined strategy. In other words, project management is not an exercise in and of it self but is the by-product of a sound strategy combined with a firm commitment to engage and understand stakeholders.

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To obtain a copy of the corresponding reference material, please contact the author.

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Article Tags: core values, dynamic world, effective project management, expressions, firm commitment, industry pundits, ineffective communication, ism, missing links, oratory, political correctness, politician, pontification, proclamations, real world, reference material, senior executives, sound strategy, supply management, world application



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