I am curious how many PMs on here consider themselves a "Do-er" on the project. I am always very hands on in my projects but I know others are paper pushers and stick to organizing only.
Gabrielle StoryProject Manager| AXA EquitableFabius, Ny, United States
I always consider myself a resource but as a result, I tend to get assigned everything. I know a lot of PM's that will organize and report only. That has never been my style because I hate waiting for others. Also, If I want it done right, i need to do it myself so its a conundrum. Saving Changes...
Is it a good idea to pitch in to help the team when a) you can do so without putting the project at jeopardy and b) you are adding value without undercutting the role of your team members - absolutely!
I've found that to be a good way to build trust and credibility with team members who don't know me, but I also keep a laser focus on my role as a PM. Too many times, I've met PMs who get so wrapped up in a particular activity or deliverable which they are working on that the project gets into trouble through neglect.
My philosophy is: if something needs doing and it's not getting done, I'll do it. That's helped me deliver projects and products as promised for many years. On a recent project, our BA was out and I had some spare time, so I drafted requirements for a week. That kept us on track.
In contrast, I worked beside project managers who focused on delivering project documentation. All of their projects were late, they didn't complete all of the documents they wanted and they were highly stressed, which they passed on to the team.
We're paid to deliver projects, not documents - get it done! Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I'm a do-er as well. I was a Business Analyst before I was a Project Manager, so I couldn't imagine not being hands-on with a project. I find this is also a great way to earn credibility with team members. There are times when a PM should just organize and report, but I believe those are usually only found with extremely large or complex projects. Saving Changes...
In IT, at least in my experience, few PMs can be "do-ers" since many of them simply lack any skills that could allow them to do the actual work on the project.
But even if the PMs got the skills needed to do the actual work they shouldn't do it too much. The non-project management skills should be used primarily for leading the team and giving direction to the team members and not necessarily for doing the actual work. Well if the PM has time and/or the team is struggling he could help but doing the actual work is not exactly his job.
The real paper pushers could be considered the PMs that are only specialists in project management and are unable do to the actual work but even their role is important. Nonetheless those in this category should refrain from considering themselves leaders as they are not. Their work could be very important in some circumstances but it is not a real leadership role.
I have said it many times but the reality is that you can't directly manage a group of people performing some work if you don't understand their work in details. Saving Changes...
