| | September 20159CIOReviewgood PM because of their technical ability - they respect a good PM because of their leadership skills.A few years ago, I happened to be sitting in on a team meeting for an important project. This was immediately after a customer had shared an opinion that, let's just say, was hard to stomach. The wind was immediately taken from the team's sails and the room almost instantly splintered into multiple, negative conversations. That is when it happened: The project manager stood up, clapped her hands loudly, walked to the front of the room, and said, "People, one at a time. Share your opinion on how we should address this." The individual experts each had their turn to provide perspective and within 30 minutes, a solid plan was developed for the customer. More importantly, it was a plan that was supported by the whole team. That project manager didn't weigh in on the technical path to follow. Rather, she provided the team with focus and guidance which drove the project forward.That is when it finally hit me that it didn't matter much, if at all, that a PM has technical expertise. The team wasn't looking for subject-matter know-how, they were looking for team leadership, discipline, organization and effective communication. Great project managers break down barriers for their team. They have the teams back when scope is creeping or project resourcing isn't balancing. They are the trusted advocate of the team. Those are consistently the types of project managers I see succeeding. What types of project managers consistently excel in your own organization? When you encounter a great PM, assess the feedback you give or receive about that project manager. Is the feedback about the project manager's abilities to act as a backup QA resource or is the feedback about their leadership and organizational skills? Is the feedback about their motivating attitude or are those comments about their technical prowess? It's the leadership skills that teams value more than anything.If you're still not convinced why it's important to broaden our viewpoint on who the right types of project managers are for our technology projects, consider this: According to the Project Management Institute, "Between 2010 and 2020, 15.7 million new project management roles will be created globally." With the growing demand for project managers, let's be honest with ourselves. Project managers with both real technical prowess and strong project management leadership fundamentals will become increasingly difficult to find. Organizations should be looking for and hiring people who know how to lead teams, regardless of that person's technical background. After all, our project teams are looking for disciplined and organized leaders, not technical smarts. I used to believe a certain level of technical experience was required for a project manager to effectively lead a technology projectNed Johnson
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