Shravan NaikProgram Manager| CenteneTampa, Fl, United States
Greetings from Japan,
For up and coming IT PMs or people that "slipped" into PM positions, what are some of the biggest challenges during this transition? I only ask because I want to transition into IT project management. Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
Emotional Intelligence - Self Awareness , Social Awareness, Self Managment , Relationship Building are a Project Manager's biggest skills and one must have a good understanding of these to succeed 90% of a Project Manager's job is communication It is easy for someone to get accused of not communicating enough . Assertiveness at the same time as being polite and respectful is a challenge at the best of times for a PM A Project Manager needs to understand Organization culture , has to have political and cultural awareness Managing stakeholders and scope is always a challenge. You will always get " I never agreed to this deliverable" from Stakeholder and they will shamelessly deny ever having agreed to it . Always be on the lookout for the hidden requirement that is a customer's expectation but has never been explicitly put in writing. Vendor management in IT is always a challenge. You must understand the contract types and holding a vendor accountable for poor performance is always a challenge Saving Changes...
Shravan NaikProgram Manager| CenteneTampa, Fl, United States
Deepesh,
Thanks for your reply, I know that managing scope is critical is delivering the required products. In the Air Force, on the aircraft projects we have guidelines predefined in writing (similar to a charter). What types of change control processes do you embed for managing this?
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1 reply by John Tieso
May 23, 2017 8:20 AM
John Tieso
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Shravan,
Unless things have changed greatly since i left the government and consulting, it was always my impression the USAF had a fairly strong change management and control program in place, and embedded in every contract and project.
Unfortunately, as you have probably experienced at least once or more, change control programs can exist, but unless they are consistently applied, they have little real value
Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
There should be a formal Project Change Board or a Steering committee that can also play the role of the Change Board
Essentially the Change Board reviews each change request presented to determine impact on Time, Cost, Scope , Quality and then approves or rejects the change
It should be represented by the sponsor who pays for the project off course !
and off course the Scope, Costs and Schedules must be baselined once the planning process is completed. Any change to the baselines must be presented and approved at the Change Control Board.
A Good place to start would be the PMBOK guide Saving Changes...
Learn to get a view from top angle. Few points you may have to learn-
- Start delegation
- Use PM tools for managing you work
- Listen more and communicate effectively
- Of course, as Deepesh mentioned you can go through processes of PMBOK. Saving Changes...
John TiesoAuthor, Lecturer in Business Management| The Catholic University of America, Busch School of Business & EconomicsArlington, Va, United States
From a practical perspective, there are few people who can simply 'slip into' a PM position, and then do well. I clearly remember my first opportunity to lead a team, and, faced with the challenge, ran as quickly as I could to another member of the staff who had experience as a manager, and not just a team member.
She taught me three things:
1- Never assume every answer you give is the correct one, and accept correction when it isn't
2- Always be prepared to describe your solution in terms others can understand and accept
3- Be willing to learn from others, especially your team, because there is always one or more ways to be successful.
Project Management is both a skill, and an art. Skills can be learned, through education and observation, as well as 'on-the-job' You can get to an 'adequate' rating by learning on the job, in smaller projects.
Project management is also an art, and there are well-described methods, techniques and tools, such as the PMBOK, to give you a blueprint on how to proceed. Others, such as BPMN, and Systems Engineering principles and practices also provide solid guidance. Just remember, though, that each project is different, and trying to do the identical things in each project will lead to failure.
Take your time, do not try to achieve something you are not yet ready to tackle, and learn from every project, successful or not. Over time, you will be happy to call yourself a PM.
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2 replies by Shravan Naik
May 23, 2017 11:10 AM
Shravan Naik
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John,
I really appreciate your honesty, I will be separating from the Air Force in January and I am 100% want to become a project manager. I think the leadership, management and communication skills that I have been able to polish in the military (still a work in process of course) would enable me to transition into a PM position. Thanks again.
May 23, 2017 11:10 AM
Shravan Naik
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John,
I really appreciate your honesty, I will be separating from the Air Force in January and I am 100% want to become a project manager. I think the leadership, management and communication skills that I have been able to polish in the military (still a work in process of course) would enable me to transition into a PM position. Thanks again.
All of the above from Deepesh, John, and Sonali are solid. The way it worked best for me was mentor, mentor, mentor. I still do it today! There is always someone who knows what they're doing better than you. Find a good PM, and become their right hand. Start with the small stuff - status reporting, number crunching, QC, which you pass through the Senior PM. Best of luck!
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1 reply by Shravan Naik
May 23, 2017 11:12 AM
Shravan Naik
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Linda,
I agree, I think that a mentor is is critical in any career field. After all, there is no replacement for experience. I am still learning as much as I can through various sources. Thanks again!
Saving Changes...
Renee RobinsonPMO Director| C2GOrlando, FL, United States
Some very solid advice has been offered. Become a right hand man, show you are willing to accept more responsibility and take ownership and learn from your mentors. Best Wishes. Saving Changes...
Deepa KalangiManager, Program Management, Author, Trainer| CVS HealthCharlotte, NC, United States
Project Management is a profession you enjoy and learn thoroughly if you are a people person, gregarious and have huge affinity to learn. If you are any of these, transitioning should not be a big deal. However, for someone that is totally heads-down technical, mostly working in silo fashion, then the transitioning may be hard or slow. However, remember, PM has to be flexible, adaptive and not get overwhelmed by surprises and changes because not every organization is the same, not every program/portfolio is the same.
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1 reply by Shravan Naik
May 23, 2017 11:05 AM
Shravan Naik
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Deepa,
Thank you so much, I will definitely check out the website!
Saving Changes...
John TiesoAuthor, Lecturer in Business Management| The Catholic University of America, Busch School of Business & EconomicsArlington, Va, United States
May 22, 2017 1:58 AM
Replying to Shravan Naik
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Deepesh,
Thanks for your reply, I know that managing scope is critical is delivering the required products. In the Air Force, on the aircraft projects we have guidelines predefined in writing (similar to a charter). What types of change control processes do you embed for managing this?
Shravan,
Unless things have changed greatly since i left the government and consulting, it was always my impression the USAF had a fairly strong change management and control program in place, and embedded in every contract and project.
Unfortunately, as you have probably experienced at least once or more, change control programs can exist, but unless they are consistently applied, they have little real value Saving Changes...
Shravan NaikProgram Manager| CenteneTampa, Fl, United States
Sonali,
I have been in a management position for a few years now. I have undertaken some projects, however majority of my work also relates to personnel management. I understand that optimizing teams and and leading people while maintaining and communicating the bigger picture is critical. My question is what level of technical knowledge must the PM have prior to taking on a project such as a software development project? Saving Changes...
