Meredith PerpetuaProject Leader| Cutanea Life SciencesRingoes, Nj, United States
In doing research, studying for the PMP Certification, and looking at the dynamics of my new company, it makes me ask the question - is Project Management something that is company specific?
It seems clear to me that there are aspects of Project Management that are more focused in various industries. I am working in the Pharma space, and I am finding a lot of tools are not necessarily implemented in the space I am working in. But I also see a large differences between various companies that I have worked in and how they handle projects.
To be a great Project Manager, does it really come down to the soft-skills and being adaptable to the environment you are working in? Any thoughts or tips for the Pharma industry are very welcome! Saving Changes...
I had the same thoughts when I initially got interested into PMP. I thought it was more clear cut and laid out, i.e. here are the templates, go get the info and fill it out and follow budgets and schedules, etc...
The longer I stay in PM the more I realize that it's not just industry specific, not just company specific, but team level specific as well. Some teams want/require templates that other teams would find a waste of time/energy.
I've also been in various industries and companies and can tell you my experience has been every place is different. It was really hard for me to understand at first but after seeing it and experiencing it, it makes much more sense to me today.
Sorry I can't help you with the Big Pharma part... Saving Changes...
Tim PodestaDirector of PM/PMO| Former BP- now IndependentPenn, Bucks, United Kingdom
Three thoughts, companies have thier unique culture which impacts the PM role. You need to know the company language and it's ways. There is also industry practice and language to understand as well. On top of that there is best practice that can be applied from PMI and other sources. However any best practice has to be adapted to work within industry and company norms. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
I worked as project manager in pharma. The first thing to understand is what project management is. Believe, if you make the question in project management forums you will surprise about answers you get including people that earns a certification. After you get it then you can find a way to perform it. PMI, IPMA, GPM, methods like PRINCE2, any other. It is very important to understand that. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
To be a great PM you need to be proficient with both hard and soft skills - you must know the latter so well that you can adroitly apply the former in different circumstances. Project management is not 'one size fits all', and PMs who apply the same approach to every situation inevitably cause problems for their teams and other stakeholders. Saving Changes...
Mohammed UllahGlobal Programme Manager| HSBC Bank plcLeeds, United Kingdom
Hi Meredith,
I'd say soft skills have to be great whatever industry, company or team you work with as it's the teams that deliver. You most likely have to adapt these to the cultures and environment that are support the delivery.
As regards tools, templates, I always consider what it is my stakeholders and I need to deliver most efficiently and effectively, and this may not always align with the standard tools/templates 'dictated' by the PM practice within the company or industry that you are in. I've largely worked in Financial Services and even if this is within the same global company, there are marked differences as to the tools/templates/methodologies that each underlying Business Line will use. Saving Changes...
Sujatha PVK NambiarSenior Director Program Management| International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)West Windsor, Nj, United States
I have been in the Pharma/Biotech area for many years now. Some functions within Pharma readily utilizes the PM tools/standards whereas other functions may not or the tools are not applicable. The most important aspect for the PM in any industry is to be very adaptable, in-depth understanding of the industry/team work-around, proficient in hard/soft skills, proactive, manage risks/issues/deliverables and be a strategic partner to the program lead/stakeholders. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Hi Meredith,
Staying industry agnostic, you will find that organizations will structure their processes around project management differently, based on specific needs - org type, project type, compliance and audit requirements, etc.
From an organization perspective, there should be flexibility within the guidelines of its project management practices.
From a tactical perspective, we [project managers] should be adept in these varying guidelines.
From a strategic perspective, we [project managers] should be cognizant of what, why, how, and when changes are needed within the organizations chosen project management guidelines to influence its direction. Saving Changes...
Ramachandran SwaminathanRegional Delivery Manager| Oracle Consulting IndiaBangalore, Karnataka, India
Project management is an art and a science just like the typical definition of management. You can learn the science part by undergoing training and getting PMP certified and equipping yourself with the PM templates etc
The art part(Soft Skill) is little more difficult and one has to work in managing different projects and takes time to build.
Sorry, I cant help you in the pharma sector, but in general, the use of templates and processes depends on the culture and maturity of the organization and even within pharma sector it might vary from one organization to the other Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
Hi Meredith , We are in a highly regulated environment here at the Blood Service . We do pick up elements of good Project Management from PMBOK but we also have to adhere to Enterprise Environmental factors like Regulatory compliance.
Blood has shelf life and it's a Fast Moving Consumer Good at the end of the day. We do have to follow and adhere to Good Automated Manufacturing Practices in projects where we do have a potential to make decisions Donors, Blood or Blood Products, much like a Pharma industry. So even if an IT system is being implemented to assist a Business process be it in manufacturing or Process Control, it has to demonstrate the adherence to regulatory requirements.
The basic framework is there. yes you have to produce a Test Plan, Test Summary Report and all testing documentation like User Acceptance Testing , you have to have your Business Requirements , your Solution Design and all the project deliverable that is expected for your solution , but in addition you also have to produce some artifacts that shows adherence to Compliance and Quality requirements which are not stipulated in a generic Project Management Guide.
I am sure the automotive and construction sectors, for example may have their own niche policies , compliance practices and environmental factors to consider which will dictate how you will run projects.
Yes soft skills are definitely very important to help you navigate through the various business environments that you may be exposed to as a Project Manager in your career, because that's how you adapt to the culture and processes which are organization specific. Your project leadership is initially formal , then as you become more popular and people recognize your approach and your influence, you gain Referent Power, followed by Expert Power. At all times, you have to be emotionally intelligent because you are working with People and although in the pecking order of sources of conflicts, people are lower down and Schedules and Priorities are higher, In-fact , its ultimately people that define those Schedules and those Priorities.
I cannot see a project delivered without the Project Manager using Motivation, Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, Emotional Intelligence and Team Building Saving Changes...
