Paradoxical view

Do managers need project management competencies?

Many at times I have met and worked with various professionals may it be architects, engineers, IT Specialist, marketers, doctors, accountants, lawyers, educationist and CEOs. Most often they undermine the need for projects to be managed effectively and efficiently. They arrogantly claim that they know how to manage the projects and it is quite easily done, such as DOPer!…

I kept emphasising that there are ‘huge’ difference between running the business operations and managing project. Marketers claim that learning up Marketing Management covers the topic of planning and implementation; likewise, IT Experts claim that their SDLC pretty much covers the planning and implementation activities. Architects sometimes think that they are god and being the project manager is their birth-right, being the person who designs a particular building. Marketers think that their new product or services will be introduced once the strategic marketing plan is completed. CEOs think that after completing the strategic planning sessions and action plans drafted out… the whole business strategy will be implemented automatically. Only in your dreams my friend!

After being involved in project environment for more than 26 years, I have learnt that there exists a big demarcation between running daily business operations and doing something that is outside the normal operations. Being an engineer myself, there are things that are routine with all the necessary Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in place. However, I lived to find out that, these constitute only small percentage of the workload. Believe you me, major bulk of the workload comes from ad-hoc items or planned items, not part of the job description that comes into play. Things like participating in cross functional activities, new business ventures, new product or services development, new market explorations requires a lot more time and effort.

Since the endeavour is outside the job scope with no written SOP explaining the process, majority revert to so called ‘wisdom’ and ‘favours’ (commonly gained thorough interpersonal relationships developed over time) within the company to get things done. Things are done haphazardly and not in a ‘structured manner’. Due to the lack of a proper system (processes and procedures), when things go wrong, there will always be someone or something to take the blame! There is no way for the ‘real’ concerns or issues are able to surface and be corrected or treated accordingly, as there is no SOP for such undertaking.

This is where, ladies and gentlemen, the competency of project management comes in handy.