Topic Teasers Vol. 63: New Manager No-Nos

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  Career Development   New Practitioners   Talent Management  

I have recently been assigned to manage a group of project managers. Unfortunately, I have no background or experience in project management, let alone the training and certifications they hold. In addition, I really have little experience in business at all…just a tangential college degree. What can you tell me about managing PMs that will help me survive in this new position?

A. Immediately get a book on project management and read up on this profession. A general overview will allow you to see that all projects are so similar that implementing your own new procedures can be equally beneficial for all the projects in progress when your start date occurs.

B. You are in a perfect position to manage project managers because you will have a fresh outlook and not be influenced or limited by what has been happening before you came. Make as many changes as you can in the first few months before you are dragged down into how things have been done in the past.

C. This is a more common situation than you might think. The best thing to do is familiarize yourself with the most common new manager mistakes and at least avoid making these. Lay low until you can figure out what is going on.

D. You should never have been hired. There is no way that a person who is not a project manager can successfully supervise those who are. Contact your boss and ask if you can be moved …

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