Democratizing Project Management: Why PM Should Be #4Everyone

For the vast majority of people, Project Management is not a profession—it is a competency. Think about someone you know who works in Public Relations, or even Sales. The job title “Public Relations Consultant” indicates that someone has made the skill of Public Relations the cornerstone of their expertise. But are Public Relations specialists the only ones who need the ability to interface with the public? Of course not. And yet, we Project Managers love to think that our profession is an exclusive, “members only” club.

We do this in a number of subtle ways, but the most egregious is our tendency to confuse our mission with the tools and techniques we use to accomplish it. Many of us, myself included, are guilty of believing that mastery of complicated technologies or specialized jargon is the mark of a good Project Manager. The reality is that some of the best Project Managers I’ve met don’t hold the title at all. They work in marketing, or accounting, or they chair a neighborhood association.

I like to say that Project Management is “the art and science of doing what has never been done before.” A project is distinct from operational work in that it has a defined beginning and end and it is non-routine. This means that every project has some degree of uncertainty and risk tied to it. Whether you are implementing a new software system, restructuring a department, or planning a new marketing campaign—there is a lot that could go horribly wrong. People with the skill of Project Management are excellent at navigating uncertainty. They do this by asking the right questions, staying organized, and motivating their team to do the same. Anyone can learn to be a better project manager, and most people would benefit from doing so either personally or professionally.

And that is why The Persimmon Group believes that PM should be for everyone. Our #PM4Everyone campaign this February and March will focus on helping all of our customers—not just titled Project Managers or executives—get better at this critical competency. We’ll provide tools, techniques, and ideas that anyone can apply in their jobs, homes, or volunteer capacities to be more successful. Finally, in a feature called Profiles in PM, we’ll introduce you to some of the non-traditional ways our consultants applied their PM skills in their personal lives.

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