Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Project Manager: the wrong idea.

About technology, business & management issues..




The concept of the Project Manager has varied greatly over the last twenty years in almost anywhere in the world. Originally it was thought that the project manager was responsible for the planning, execution, closure and implementation of a project.

Typically these projects were related to the fields of engineering in industrial areas such as construction and mechanical equipment. In recent times some other industries have systematized execution models as service companies or software developers have adopted the role of project manager in its operations. However in the last decade in Mexico, thanks in part to the professionalization of processes within companies, consultancy has idealized the idea of ​​the project manager in a somewhat romantic role but certainly not really aligned with the status quo mentality that prevails in many Mexican companies, particularly those engaged in industrial construction and property development.

- "The Project Manager should be in charge of the business unit," say pompously consultants and business leaders in Mexico. The idea is that the Project Manager is responsible for all areas of a project such as administration, sales and marketing. However, this domestic model enhances the whimsical minds of business owners but does not tackle the real problem.

Reasons? Lots ofthem: directing & supervising the operations of marketing, finance and management within a company involves a knowledge of the business that not all project managers (with a more technical background)  do not fully master. Moreover, the project manager works mentally for projects, from conception through implementation and ending with the closing. Being aware of other business areas involves constant attention and dedication that you are more likely to apply to a CEO role than someone who sees life through a series of projects.

On the other hand, perhaps the strongest reason passes for real empowerment in decision making. In theory, the project manager has the power to make financial decisions,  resolve operational and sales process issues, but in reality the micromanager that all owners have installed in themselves is constantly blocking  the PM do his work which undermines any attempt to develop as a business unit and turns the PM into a simple coordinator or  much-alike a personal assistant.

The funny thing is that the tendency to view the PM as the "cornerstone" of the business is still valid no matter how often they hit themselves against the wall.

www.clarensyst.com.mx

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