What are the types of project managers?
What do we have in the market as a project manager (he is the project manager / Project Manager / RP)?
Each organization develops a certain understanding of the RP. Among other things, there are various project management methodologies: PMBoK, P2M, PRINCE2, Agile. Works on this topic written quite a few. I got some subjective impression / categorization of the RP based on practical experience.
In the first part, in addition to professional knowledge and skills in project management, I would like to touch upon the knowledge of the subject area in which the RP works. On the example of the RP working in the field of software development, the so-called subject is one who understands how a product is created, how software product development differs from any other areas of project activity, etc. If you dive even deeper, the software product can be developed in a specific narrow area. For example, now popular Google, Facebook, or boxed solutions, such as Windows or Skype, are created in a specific, fairly narrow area in terms of the tasks to be solved. Each of these products contain certain subject knowledge, without which it would be impossible to create truly high-class products.
Based on the above-described division, depending on the depth of immersion in the subject area, RP can be divided into 3 categories:
1. RP, who generally knows and understands how to manage projects, how to communicate, how to take risks into account, plan, etc. Those. all that is directly related to project management. A person who positions himself as a project management professional. The so-called PMP in the PMBoK methodology. I define them for myself as RP universalists.
2. RP, which among other things knows which tools are used in the subject area, how are used, which are good and which are bad, how much time is usually spent on certain types of work in this area. RP, well versed in the tools, technology of creating a product or service. I define such professionals for myself as RP techies.
3. RP, who are well aware of the area in which the product is created, knows all the nuances, bottlenecks, needs of the market, its participants. In my understanding, these are professionals who are focused on the product, who study the area adjacent to the equipment, determine needs: analyze current or predict future ones. These are RP-products or product managers. An example would be the Google search engine. Where, in addition to programming skills, system administration, skills were also needed to develop a search algorithm (ranking) for sites that would allow them to efficiently find the most relevant sites.
For myself, I define the first type of RP, as a rule, the one whose labor results are little dependent on their efforts. But there are, of course, exceptions. In general, such people can control the development of projects in relatively established and established systems - in large corporations. But to create high-tech products or products that are well-oriented to the market can not.
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The second type of RP is doing well and reliably in the labor market. As a rule, there is always a steady demand for it. For example, in the development of software products, he will always find a job in integrator companies (software builders for bricks and in a hurry). But this type of RP is similar to a foreman at a construction site who has his own team. They find objects, do a quick job and go on to the next. Something outstanding, at the level of high-class products, they do not create or create rarely. Yes, they are undoubtedly useful, but they do not do anything revolutionary.
The third type of RP is people who understand the area in which they work like the back of their fingers. They know their consumers, they know what consumers need. Or are they inventors who have knowledge in a particular subject area and can create a product from knowledge that is not yet on the market and difficult to repeat. Professionals in their field create products that potential consumers and do not know that they want to use them. And when a product is born, it covers the minds of consumers. Their work is like creating a new religion, a new idea and, on the one hand, is not very focused on making money, and on the other hand, if successful, it brings super-profits. Super-profit is formed by a fairly simple and understandable scheme - the creation of high added value at low costs of product replication. This is especially true for the fields of music, movies, software, etc.
Of course, RP categories can intersect and everyone can end up becoming successful and do really outstanding things. But, as a rule, outstanding results are achieved in the final stage / category of the RP.
The third type of RP can include quite a lot of roles: product managers, entrepreneurs, marketers, managers, PR specialists, etc. In general, a successful RP includes, to varying degrees, all roles.
It is important to understand that project managers are professionals who have chosen the path of project activities. All of them are united by the fact that in a certain, limited period of time, a product or service with a certain value is created. And this is an important distinctive feature of the project activity from the operating room. In accordance with this categorization, it is possible to identify development paths for yourself and evaluate other project managers, including the CEO of developing companies.
Each organization develops a certain understanding of the RP. Among other things, there are various project management methodologies: PMBoK, P2M, PRINCE2, Agile. Works on this topic written quite a few. I got some subjective impression / categorization of the RP based on practical experience.
In the first part, in addition to professional knowledge and skills in project management, I would like to touch upon the knowledge of the subject area in which the RP works. On the example of the RP working in the field of software development, the so-called subject is one who understands how a product is created, how software product development differs from any other areas of project activity, etc. If you dive even deeper, the software product can be developed in a specific narrow area. For example, now popular Google, Facebook, or boxed solutions, such as Windows or Skype, are created in a specific, fairly narrow area in terms of the tasks to be solved. Each of these products contain certain subject knowledge, without which it would be impossible to create truly high-class products.
Based on the above-described division, depending on the depth of immersion in the subject area, RP can be divided into 3 categories:
1. RP, who generally knows and understands how to manage projects, how to communicate, how to take risks into account, plan, etc. Those. all that is directly related to project management. A person who positions himself as a project management professional. The so-called PMP in the PMBoK methodology. I define them for myself as RP universalists.
2. RP, which among other things knows which tools are used in the subject area, how are used, which are good and which are bad, how much time is usually spent on certain types of work in this area. RP, well versed in the tools, technology of creating a product or service. I define such professionals for myself as RP techies.
3. RP, who are well aware of the area in which the product is created, knows all the nuances, bottlenecks, needs of the market, its participants. In my understanding, these are professionals who are focused on the product, who study the area adjacent to the equipment, determine needs: analyze current or predict future ones. These are RP-products or product managers. An example would be the Google search engine. Where, in addition to programming skills, system administration, skills were also needed to develop a search algorithm (ranking) for sites that would allow them to efficiently find the most relevant sites.
For myself, I define the first type of RP, as a rule, the one whose labor results are little dependent on their efforts. But there are, of course, exceptions. In general, such people can control the development of projects in relatively established and established systems - in large corporations. But to create high-tech products or products that are well-oriented to the market can not.
')
The second type of RP is doing well and reliably in the labor market. As a rule, there is always a steady demand for it. For example, in the development of software products, he will always find a job in integrator companies (software builders for bricks and in a hurry). But this type of RP is similar to a foreman at a construction site who has his own team. They find objects, do a quick job and go on to the next. Something outstanding, at the level of high-class products, they do not create or create rarely. Yes, they are undoubtedly useful, but they do not do anything revolutionary.
The third type of RP is people who understand the area in which they work like the back of their fingers. They know their consumers, they know what consumers need. Or are they inventors who have knowledge in a particular subject area and can create a product from knowledge that is not yet on the market and difficult to repeat. Professionals in their field create products that potential consumers and do not know that they want to use them. And when a product is born, it covers the minds of consumers. Their work is like creating a new religion, a new idea and, on the one hand, is not very focused on making money, and on the other hand, if successful, it brings super-profits. Super-profit is formed by a fairly simple and understandable scheme - the creation of high added value at low costs of product replication. This is especially true for the fields of music, movies, software, etc.
Of course, RP categories can intersect and everyone can end up becoming successful and do really outstanding things. But, as a rule, outstanding results are achieved in the final stage / category of the RP.
The third type of RP can include quite a lot of roles: product managers, entrepreneurs, marketers, managers, PR specialists, etc. In general, a successful RP includes, to varying degrees, all roles.
It is important to understand that project managers are professionals who have chosen the path of project activities. All of them are united by the fact that in a certain, limited period of time, a product or service with a certain value is created. And this is an important distinctive feature of the project activity from the operating room. In accordance with this categorization, it is possible to identify development paths for yourself and evaluate other project managers, including the CEO of developing companies.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/187658/
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