Project Manager: The Strategic Partner for Business Success

Gary Hamilton is a PgMP credentialed Program Manager with over 18 years of program management experience primarily in financial services and business transformation. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Plattsville teaching in the Program Management curriculum since 2013. He resides in North Carolina with his wife and when not working he is an avid hiker/runner.

  Career Development   Communications Management   Leadership  

Over the last few years, a project manager thinking about changing jobs may have noticed that job requirements have begun to shift as to what organizations are looking for. In the not-so-distant past, typical project management roles focused on specific project management tools, knowledge and skills, (e.g., being a solid communicator, creating a schedule and holding the team accountable). Are these skills and this knowledge still important today?

Yes! However, more recent project manager listings are beginning to include skills such as “the ability to see the big picture and connect the dots” or “thinking outside the box.” At the least, these are indicators of a shift to a more strategic focus. In other words, organizations have found that project managers need to be strategic thinkers. Why is this, and what can project managers do to improve their strategic thinking skills?

Background
Make no mistake…the project manager, as a full-time position, is here to stay. However, as recognition of the role has gained strength across all industries, not having a standard set of certifiable and verifiable skills has led to a disparity of skills among those holding the title of project manager. While some variation in project management requirements and expectations still exists today, more standardizations have occurred across most industries, even …

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