Tom's latest eBook has been released on Amazon: "The 7 Myths of IT Integrations". Tom is also a Program Director for a large Midwest corporation and has been an adjunct faculty member at Walsh College. He has managed global web initiatives, data center moves and large multi-million dollar programs.
Get three or more project managers together to discuss what makes for a good set of PM skills and you will invariably end up with a time-honored and age-worn debate. This seems to be just as fertile of an area for differences as is the debate about how much value a PM certification really adds. Debates are great: I love how passionate each side gets as they state their case. The area that I think sparks one of the most interesting discussions is:
“Which is more important to project manager success: domain knowledge or project management skills?”
It’s a gripping argument that has people all across this great land and the world lined up on both sides of the issue. People engaged in this fierce game of rock-paper-scissors steadfastly believe that there is a rational answer to it, but I have often wondered what the bottom line answer really is.
To start looking, I limited my scope to a core scenario--a project manager is taking the over a new project in a new company and in a different area, field or industry. Which set of skills would help them make them make that leap most successfully? I did some digging to find out…
Types of Knowledge (Tools of Trade)
Before we can start anywhere we need to define our terms. When we say “knowledge” it can refer to two areas. First there is project management knowledge: