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?
Mir AlikhanProject Manager| ChangementKaty, Tx, United States
Not necessarily. There are several PMs who rely heavily on technical experts (engineers) and SMEs, and sometimes (Schmoes) for specialization. It does help to have experience - though I don't beleive it neccesarily translates to specialization. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Hi
I agree that the PM does not have to be a specialist. I delivered a large SAP rollout on time. Companies that have hired people based on ther technical knowledge have sometime regretted it because thay can't get away from the detail and forget to manage.
After all, project managers are managers so get with managing and then have the specialist team laeders with the technical knowledge that you can depend on to lead development, etc. You can compliment this philosophy with external audits to make sure you are on the right track. Saving Changes...
