Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Jul 18, 2017 12:52 PM
Replying to Edward Daniels
...
I appreciate your answer, i once had an interview where i was supposed to review the code written by developers as a PM. I asked why code review would be an integral part of my assignment when i am still supposed to get all the PM-related work done.
Managing people, process and technology is my mandate and i shouldn't have to learn to code or build databases or web development to manage the team. Some employers are seeking that and it is the old school mentality that if you rise through the ranks, being the most tech-savvy person on the team would make you the most senior and so next in line to managing teams.
Until PMI publishes what is truly required of a PMP/PgMP to lead industry leaders, PMs alike would be expected to be more technical-oriented vice management than is truly needed.
You're "old school mentality" describes, in part, the Peter Principle. We promote someone to management because he's a senior developer. That developer-turned-manager might make a fantastic manager, of course, but we shouldn't confuse seniority with management potential.
I'm also reminded of a quote by Archibald Putt:
"Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand." Saving Changes...
If the extreme I will say: it is not important. A project manager is not a technical people. BUT, if you are working in software field, take a look to Personal Software Process (http://resources.sei.cmu.edu/library/asset...?assetid=5283). Is something I have applied in other fiels than software to help people to apply project management in a natural way. I was trained inside the SEI CMU.
Thank you for your insight.
You may want to edit your link. The closing parenthesis and period were included in the URL. Saving Changes...
Perrine CramptonInfluencer Relations Community Manager| CitrixSanta Clara, Ca, United States
I agree with the previous responses. I work as an Influencer Relations Program Community Manager. In that role, I'm responsible for a group of 50 VERY technical people who are volunteers. (Double the fun!)
It has been helpful to have experience with the subject matter. What is even more helpful is the ability to ask for more information or ask the person to relate their information in a less technical manner - can they describe email by talking about the physical US Post Office?
Yes. Your role is to manage the project. It's also critical to understand if completely rewriting the code in a different language is a big or small effort. (It's a BIG one!)
I guess it's more of YOUR ability to adapt to the situation. I'm really a geek at heart but have no interest in learning to code beyond HTML. It works for me. I have managed groups of developers and they have never expressed any concern for my level of technology depth.
I hope this helps.
I've been working in technology for over 20 years and have been able to adapt successfully in each of my roles. In some roles, I've felt over my head. I listen and learn. In almost all cases, I learn by listening. I establish a friendship with the group and ask them to help me learn more.
Tech people LOVE to help. It works for me. :-)
Good luck. Saving Changes...
Anish AbrahamPrivacy Program Manager| University of WashingtonAuburn, Wa, United States
I think technical skills is a nice-to-have trait for project manager in IT industry but in majority of cases they aren't very important. I have technical background and I know that my coding skills helped me to solve problems when SME was not available. At the same time I agree that project manager is one of team leaders who can influence team members. But it doesn't mean project manager should be the most knowledgeable and most experienced person in the team. Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
Hi Michael
If you have not been a software developer before, It may be hard to get a coding book and start reading it.
I think you would be better served to have high level knowledge of the technology that is being used to build the software . A knowledge of the components (Very high level) that make up your application's architecture is good enough.
The important thing to note is that a whole application can be developed in discrete components. A team can develop the Front end, Another team can focus on the business logic and other team can focus on the backend. In the end, everything can be packaged up into a Web application
For example , for a web application , you would find the following technologies and tools typically in play:- An application server :- Web applications execute within a container and the container is housed in an application server. your company may be using any one of JBoss, WebLogic , Open Source containers like Glassfish, Tomcat, WebSphere.
The container tells the Application, the connection string to connect to a database and has a lot of components for performance tuning.
A database management system :- Your company may be using a SQL Server or Oracle Database or even open source or free database systems.
An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) :- Typically Eclipse, Selenium:- An IDE helps you to build and package all your code, give a visual representation of your application packages and how they interact and has local containers within which to execute the code and run your web applications before you deploy them over to an application server. Your developer typically runs the unit tests using an IDE.
Typically Web Applications used to follow MVC patterns - There is a Model (Your database structure) , A View (Your Front end visual representation) , A Controller (Business logic that enables the interaction between model and view and is the heart of your web application).
Finally all your code versions are stored in a central Collaborative Code Repository . A new version is checked-in to the repository and can be checked out by other programmers to add their bits
It is important to understand the following :-
1) Why has your company chosen Application server X over Y to run their web applications? Is it licensing ? Is it scalability? Is it performance? Is it Maturity?
2) Does your Software development team follow the appropriate coding standards?
3) Do they peer review their code? Do they engage in Pair Programming?
4) Are they delivering to scope or trying to Gold Plate? Is the Application meeting the Requirements documentation or desired functionality? Is it free of critical and high defects?
5) Are they following a mature SDLC?
6) How does the application server achieve High Availability or Disaster Recovery? Is it a clustered and load balanced implementation?
It's incredible how much you can learn by asking questions ! Saving Changes...
Xin QiConsultant| Chengde New Kid's Mind Bilingual KindergartenChengde, Hebei, China, Mainland
I think it's very helpful. Although PM don't work on the coding, PM can make the management better with programming language background. For example when a team choose one development model, PM can know how to make the project control process better. Saving Changes...
I belong to the generation that faced something like Cobol. So general coding skills are there and I stll enjoy doing some Excel VBA programming. Time and changes are fast paced. To have some general understanding about logic and principles is ok, but you do not need to be a programming expert to be an IT project manager. I am saying this as someone doing SAP projects for over 20 years without having done a single ABAP code line.
...
1 reply by Sergio Luis Conte
Dec 22, 2017 6:05 AM
Sergio Luis Conte
...
Good to read I am not the only old man that are participating into this forum. Long life to Cobol!!!!! (hehehehehe)
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Dec 22, 2017 4:43 AM
Replying to Peter Ambrosy
...
I belong to the generation that faced something like Cobol. So general coding skills are there and I stll enjoy doing some Excel VBA programming. Time and changes are fast paced. To have some general understanding about logic and principles is ok, but you do not need to be a programming expert to be an IT project manager. I am saying this as someone doing SAP projects for over 20 years without having done a single ABAP code line.
Good to read I am not the only old man that are participating into this forum. Long life to Cobol!!!!! (hehehehehe)
...
1 reply by Peter Ambrosy
Dec 22, 2017 6:10 AM
Peter Ambrosy
...
...and not to forget PL/1, Fortran....It is important to "stay young" in our beliefs and behaviour in our daily PM practise.
