Was thinking the other day about the Project Manager role, and how much the expectations vary from company to company, and the way the job is executed varies from person to person.
I believe that to find the best fit, it's important for a project manager to reflect on their natural style and strengths in executing the job, describe that style clearly in their resume, and compare available project management opportunities to their preferences and style.
Some project managers are all about the relationships, others the schedule, others issue resolution; still others go very deep into the technical content of the project.
See if you recognize some of the project management personality styles I've known:
The Consultant - focuses on what each person/department needs; asks lots of questions
The Technologist - goes deep and offers content advice as well as process facilitation
The Traffic Cop - very focused on critical path; you go, then you go, then you...
The Glue - the one person holding everything and everyone together; likes to be the one person everyone has to call for information
The Numbers Wonk - this data-driven PM tracks everyone and everything - no report is too soon or too frivolous
The Steward - sees themselves as the project's guardian angel watching the project as if it is flowing down a river; oversees, and only intervenes to pluck it free if it gets snagged on a rock
The Snitch - all about blame, this PM thinks that the way to solve any issue is to run to your boss or your boss's boss
What's your PM style? Have you met these project managers or others?
Have you read job postings that are clearly looking for a certain style of PM more than others? Example: if a job posting is all about executive level reporting, do they first and foremost want a snitch?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment