Candice ShubbieConsultant| PROJECT40 ConsultingOntario, Ca, United States
How many PMs have found themselves becoming accidental Product Owners? I’m starting to see a shift from formal PMs to more hybrid roles that require SME or product management experience. I’m also noticing a trend where organizations are recruiting for a project manager when they really need a program manager, as you are expected to project manage all your own implementations as well as maintain changes and upkeep to the platform as needed.
Who else has experience with their project management job turning into a different role, and what type of role did it become?
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Well, I did. Including I was accountable for the whole transformation to agile architecture and approach in the company I worked on. In fact, in the begining I cover roles at the same time like program manager and IT product owner for example because we run initiatives using agile based methods/frameworks and not agile based. So, at the end, the key is to clear understand the key differences on the roles. That´s critical success factor. And put it clear to all the people that will work using a specific method/framework to create the solution. In my personal experience this is the lifejacket for people that will take the rol. Saving Changes...
This happens fairly often when an organization is changing how they deliver value (for example moving from a project-centric to a product or value stream-centric delivery approach) - you start in one role and it morphs over time. In one past role I went from being interviewed as a senior PM to being hired to lead an emergent PMO.
Some of this has to do with the fact that PM skills are applicable to a large variety of roles and once someone demonstrates their competency with those, their leaders might choose to utilize those skills in a different manner.
Kiron
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1 reply by Candice Shubbie
Jul 03, 2024 8:59 PM
Candice Shubbie
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Kiron,
I’m starting to see a greater shift in companies moving from that project-centric to a product or value stream-centric delivery approach as you mentioned. You also raise a good point in that PM skills are applicable to so many roles that I also see more morphing of roles occurring. Especially given how much technology has helped to streamline traditional product or project manager roles, the actual work that needs to be performed keeps changing shape.
This has to do also with the fact that how PMs are also getting more and more technically involved since a lot of projects are working Agile.
Working with the dev team and the PO on a daily basis, makes you the perfect candidate to get a full understanding on the product and the customer.
Even so much that, sometimes, the PM even tends to start giving in better ideas or requirements based on the experience gathered from several projects.
In this case, not only does the PM provide requirements along with the PO but at times also becomes the best choice to replace official POs incase of resource shortages. Saving Changes...
Candice ShubbieConsultant| PROJECT40 ConsultingOntario, Ca, United States
Jun 27, 2024 7:17 AM
Replying to Kiron Bondale
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Candice -
This happens fairly often when an organization is changing how they deliver value (for example moving from a project-centric to a product or value stream-centric delivery approach) - you start in one role and it morphs over time. In one past role I went from being interviewed as a senior PM to being hired to lead an emergent PMO.
Some of this has to do with the fact that PM skills are applicable to a large variety of roles and once someone demonstrates their competency with those, their leaders might choose to utilize those skills in a different manner.
Kiron
Kiron,
I’m starting to see a greater shift in companies moving from that project-centric to a product or value stream-centric delivery approach as you mentioned. You also raise a good point in that PM skills are applicable to so many roles that I also see more morphing of roles occurring. Especially given how much technology has helped to streamline traditional product or project manager roles, the actual work that needs to be performed keeps changing shape. Saving Changes...
Candice,
My role changes frequently between project and product focused. What you may really be seeing is that as your experience level rises, the scope also expands to include more of the technical aspects.
My experience is from the other direction as an engineer who's focus shifted from the product more to PM. I learned the PM processes out of necessity. Realizing that the smartest idea is completely useless if you can't explain it to other people in a way they can expand on that idea, I realized I needed to focus on my lobbying skills so others would prioritize my ideas.
As a counterpoint I know many people who entered an organization from the business side and later became far more involved in the product side because through their PM experiences, they learned much more about the product and their own craft.. I personally find my balance depends on whether the challenge is getting people to change something (product focus), or making the change efficiently (project focus).
Perhaps there is a shift in companies overall, but I wouldn't rule out that you have climbed high enough on the mountainside to have a different perspective and your role is expanding to match.
Keith Saving Changes...
This is quite an interesting thread. I moved into Project management years back only because I had the technical domain knowledge. From what I gather, it is very industry-specific. In the Energy industry, the trend is more geared towards having SMEs or Technical experts progress as PMs who might eventually turn into POs (if you speak of an OEM type of company). Saving Changes...
