Is technical knowledge an essential requirement for project manager?
Xue ZhangProject Manager| thyssenkrupp System Engineering Inc.Mi, United States
As a PM I have heard different opinions about this, some people said that the technical knowledge is not important as a PM you will have a team with different background and they are responsible for technical details. Just to clarify here technical knowledge I refer to deep understanding in certain technical areas, e.g. mechanical design, robot expert etc. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Xue
You will always hear different opinions about this topic as it differs from one industry to another.
From my side, generally speaking, I believe the PM should not be a technical expert but should have the minimum technical knowledge to be able to make sense of the estimates, solve problems, take sound decisions and communicate with all parties as needed.
RK
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1 reply by Chris Horner
Apr 21, 2021 4:40 PM
Chris Horner
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This is an excellent reply and I’d like to add one more thing. The PM should have the courage to take that general technical knowledge, apply it to the project at hand and be able to ask probing questions. I’ve found that helps and even challenges your Architects and SMEs to better explain and defend approaches taken.
I'd echo Rami's feedback that without "some" level of domain knowledge, it will be hard to establish credibility with stakeholders at the beginning and your lack of knowledge will make it harder for you to ask the right questions.
Financial Management Specialist | US Peace CorpsYaounde, Centre, Cameroon
It should be a requirement and the depth of the essentiality should vary from one industry to another..... All in all, a little knowledge in the field of the project is quite important in helping the PM operate effectively Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
When somebody is assigned to a program/project the first thing to do is performing elicitation to understand the domain where the project/program will be run, mainly external and internal environmental conditions. Then the PM has not to be a subject matter expert but there is a need to get basic knowledge (not only technical) to work with stakeholders in creating all related to project/program and to run it. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Technical knowledge is important for a project, therefor hire the best specialists for the technical areas and let them be led by an architect. The project manager's role is rather to build a great team (hic!), answer questions by the customer and the sponsor on their level (stakeholder engagement) and tackle the problems that show up during the course of the project (be agile). Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
I keep going back to risk assessment and management. The PM's technical strength is a factor to consider during the risk analysis process including credibility with stakeholders.
It should be recognized that a PM's technical strength could be a drawback (risk) if the PM, feeling superior, choses to ignore or over-rule subject matter experts.
The question is not: "Should the PM be technically strong?" but "How do we maximize (take advantage of) the abilities of the PM and rest of the team to effectively deliver the project"?. Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
You mention that you have heard different opinions about this and you will continue to do so since there is no rule. My opinion - there is no 'should' or 'must'. The generic answer would be that yes, technical knowledge when you work in a technical domain will help but that does not mean that a PM is useless if they don't have this knowledge at the outset.
Different people learn differently. We all have our own method of learning new stuff and we all do it at different speeds. A fast learner can go into a project blind and be an SME within weeks while this won't work for others.
For me - I prefer to know as much about the domain I work in so that I can make more informed decisions faster. BTW Peter makes a good point, too much knowledge could be dangerous since it is easy for the PM to be pulled in or try to impose their opinion. Saving Changes...
Xue ZhangProject Manager| thyssenkrupp System Engineering Inc.Mi, United States
thank you all for sharing your insights here!
My personal experience is the basic technical knowledge is important for communication with all stakeholders, and rely on SMEs to solve technical issues. However, it is sometimes challenging, if you have a few SMEs working on one issue, and each one is focusing on own area, the PM needs to be "technically strong" to bring them together. Saving Changes...
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
As many have pointed out, some level of technical knowledge is needed, but it is not required to be an SME (on the contrary, a project manager that is also an SME is a project risk).
I have seen PMs without pharmaceutical industry background failing miserably due to their total ignorance in the field. Knowledge of GxP and other quality standards, along with some minimal knowledge of the usual jargon, is required to increase the odds of succes. Saving Changes...
Ghassan HanaProject Manager I Project Management DeliveryCalgary, Alberta, Canada
In my opinion the PM has to have a strong technical knowledge but ,not as a SME, to manage the project overall and its deliverables as per cost and schedule. At the end of the day it is "your baby"! Saving Changes...
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