As any long practicing project manager will attest, being a project manager is both an art and a science.
It is an art, because you have to skillfully navigate the people, processes and tools to deliver the value that drives the project.
It is a science because it has specific tools and techniques to get you to an end point.
Some of the good approaches in using it as an art:
- never settle for predefined “template” project plans or approaches, except maybe as a starting point only. This not only goes against the principle of continuous improvement that is part of PMBOK, it goes against a main value that a project manager brings, and why this profession still resists automation.
- remember the value that drives a project. Of course scope, schedule and budget are important, but if the value driver is lost in the project, being successful in other metrics is not that important.
- projects are done by people and people are different. What worked once, may not work again , or may not work in this case. The role of he project manager is also to inspire and build enthusiasm, not just to check progress.
- Running a project is a competition for resources – being creative means you get access to the right resources.
Some of the good approaches in using it as a science:
- Use tools and techniques in PMBOK. They’ve been tested and true for many projects.
- You cannot track progress without writing down things. Whether it’s an Excel schedule, a MS Project WBS, or a story in an agile tool sprint, writing things and putting a deadline to them is paramout to ensuring progress.
- You need to have checkpoints in the project to assess where you are. Whether they are milestones or steering committees, or the weekly beer with the sponsor, checkpoints force an assessment of progress.
- Risk management – needs to be done. It works and there are almost no projects that can be without.
- Same for having a structured approach to communication.
So where does this leave us? Well in organizations that are heavy on process and tools, taking the “art”istic approach puts a project manager ahead of the pack, because you can achieve more. In organizations that are free-flowing, having structure would benefit you most.
Not an easy way to figure things out! This is where an experienced professional like the ones in our business can help.