In the event that you had to upgrade software or develop a new program, is it essential to be a specialist in that field to SMOOTHLY deliver the project?
In my view, if PMs were all specialists in what they were delivering, then we'd all just do it ourselves! Not to mention still performing the PM job on the side... It's important to understand the in's and out's of what you're delivering as well as the tasks involved to get there however if issues arise which are very specific to a specialists role, do we need to know how to resolve these things too?
Rakesh TrivediSenior Project Manager| IT CompanyIndore, Mp, India
Good topic, As a practicing PM I feel it is good to master in that field but not always essential to be specialist in the type of project they are working rather then they should be adept in organizing the available resources and synergize different groups to get the work done . One more aspect would be to have PM aware of the type of project and specialties involved in that in order to make prudent decision. Saving Changes...
Bruce LoflandSoftware Developer| SprintLenexa, Ks, United States
I wrote a post on my blog about this topic: Does a Technical Project Need a Technical Project Manager? The feedback on this seems to be very diverse. In a large organization where there are lots of project and lots of PMs and lots of technical specialists, there is less of a need for a PM to have technical skills. In a smaller organization, it becomes much more important because project management is something learned by the technical lead to get the job done. They might be called a project manager, but they are primarily a technical lead.
I agree with Rakesh in the sense that as a PM should be focusing on the management of resources. However, some companies, expect the PM to "do" the delivery in order to save costs.
Personally, I feel it is good to have prior experience in the tasks and activities, but with some effort in understanding the processes, a PM without the background experience, would not badly affected.
A versatile PM should be comfortable operating at a high level as well as have an eye at the details. Saving Changes...
Tom L. BarnettWriter Consultant SpeakerChicago, Il, United States
I touched on this in a recent article on PMs called "Does Domain Knowledge Really Matter?"
You can hit the article at Gantthead at this link:
Sunilkumar ElisettyProject Management and Six Sigma Process ConsultantChennai, Tamilnadu, India
Well, being a domain expert or technical expert it helps you in understanding the nuances technically however it really doesn't help in managing the project effectively. Saving Changes...
From my POV the experienced PM does not need to be a specialist, on the contrary I find that I often am not the specialist, but with my experience and "odd way of thinking" am able to get the sme/specialists to think out of the box, especially when it comes to technical projects I find that highly technical PMs have a risk of diving into problem solving rather that project managing the team and thus not ensuring that the problems are communicated etc. to stakeholders.
I agree that in smaller organisations often the PM will be a specialist or have a specialist background, but it is very important to separate the roles and focus on the PM role and responsibilities. The PM can then use the specialist knowledge to help the team succeed, but as a manager/leader.
kind regards
Kasper Saving Changes...
Jeff ArmstrongAgile Programme & Portfolio Consultant| business-docs.co.ukLondon, United Kingdom
Domain expertise on the team is important, but I wouldn't argue that the PM needs to be that expert.
I'd say more that a PM benefits from experience with a variety of domain experts. Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
I think you need enough specialist experience to know when someone is pulling the wool over your eyes, but you don't need to be *the* expert on the team. Except in the field of project management, of course - you should be the expert on that! Saving Changes...
Stan YanakievCustomer Project Manager - IT| Hewlett-PackardSofia, Bulgaria
Software projects have their own specifics. While I think the PM should have primarily expert knowledge in Project Management, it is very helpful to have also track record in the particular type of project they are undertaking. Pure technical expertise is less important. But I would be very surprised to see a construction project manager complete a software development project successfully. These types of projects are very different. Saving Changes...
You can't be an expert in all areas, but there are always your comfort zones and the industry you came from. If you are not the expert in the project you are managing make sure you have a technical lead who is an expert.
Remember the old saying; Project managers are responsible for the exeuction not the content.
So do not get dragged into the details concentrate on the enablers for your experts to deliver. Saving Changes...
"Technology is a gift of God. After the gift of life it is perhaps the greatest of God's gifts. It is the mother of civilizations, of arts and of sciences."
