{"id":674,"date":"2007-11-09T17:54:25","date_gmt":"2007-11-09T17:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/2007\/11\/09\/great-career-options-for-great-pms\/"},"modified":"2019-08-07T14:37:03","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T21:37:03","slug":"great-career-options-for-great-pms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=674","title":{"rendered":"Great Career Options for Great PMs"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wanted to do my last big post on bridging from these ideas of what constitutes a\u00a0great PM to what it can mean for someone’s overall\u00a0career. \u00a0 Of course it seems obvious that if you’re a great PM, you’ll get more opportunities.\u00a0 Certainly\u00a0 you’d seem like the person to call for bigger and hairier and more complex projects.\u00a0\u00a0 But I bring this up because of the unexpected career paths I’ve seen people take based on a foundation of PM ability.<\/p>\n

Examples of what I mean:<\/p>\n

My own career path:\u00a0 Engineer – to\u00a0 functional group lead\u00a0 – to line Director and release manager – to\u00a0multi-site PM – to\u00a0contract project manager – to\u00a0PM and development methodology creator and project coach – to\u00a0 head of project management support group – to\u00a0Interim manager for SQA and regulatory groups – to\u00a0consulting business owner – to\u00a0consultant\/acting VP of product development\u00a0 – to web business owner…<\/p>\n

A colleague named Barbara:\u00a0\u00a0 Software configuration management coordinator – to\u00a0 project manager for small vendor RFP effort – to software program release manager for post-development product integration – to program manager for major corporate software initiative – to\u00a0development manager for new software installation product….<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Colleague named Pete:\u00a0 software developer – to\u00a0software group\u00a0manager – to\u00a0software project manager plus member of development process improvement committee – to\u00a0head of new PMO\/project support group – to\u00a0director of projects<\/p>\n

Colleague named Warren:\u00a0 hardware engineer – to\u00a0software developer – to\u00a0software quality assurance consultant – to\u00a0project management consultant – to\u00a0project methodology consultant \u00a0– to\u00a0consultant\/ actiing Director of projects for a product group – to\u00a0program manager for medical products \u00a0– to\u00a0Director at a web start-up\u00a0 – to\u00a0VP of engineering at a medical startup.<\/p>\n

Neil:\u00a0 Development engineer – to\u00a0customer support engineer – to\u00a0project manager for multiple projects in a small services company – to\u00a0 GE corporate consulting on projects – to\u00a0manager of organizational effectiveness including PM coaching, development processes, executive assistance – to\u00a0member of organizational development group for major computer company supporting projects and processes.<\/p>\n

Each person above had a really interesting mix of career experience –\u00a0a series of positions that was not planned out for any of them, but evolved based on their performance, abilities etc.\u00a0\u00a0 From what I know of each of them, their opportunities came about because of their PM Greatness in particular areas that fit their environments and led to excellent performance of the job at hand, and the opportunity for the next great challenge.<\/p>\n

So to summarize some key Great PM Opportunities distilled from these career paths:<\/p>\n

Roles in PMOs:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 One great opportunity is to get a role helping support project managers.\u00a0 What Great PM traits matter?\u00a0 Process-savvy and flexibility,\u00a0the ability to understand different project environments and advise new PMs on the nuances of becoming a great PM in every situation, rapport with management…<\/p>\n

Functional management roles.\u00a0<\/strong> As noted above,\u00a0there are savvy PMs who have moved from functional roles,\u00a0to project management roles, and eventually back to the functional world – but in elevated positions.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The same qualities that made them great PMs led directly to them being trusted and desired in more responsible functional\/ business\u00a0positions – qualities such as their understanding of the business, rapport with cross-functional groups, and the ability to make or influence tough trade-off decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Consulting and\u00a0contracting,<\/strong> whether to run or coach specific projects or help with overall improvement goals.\u00a0 In my experience, our past performance, credibility, and\u00a0demonstrated ability to learn trump whether you’ve managed a specific project type before.\u00a0 Courageous and can-do\u00a0attitudes, building a got-it-done track record in the new client, and the rapport\u00a0great PMs\u00a0build\u00a0inside clients\u00a0often leads to a stream of\u00a0additional opportunities\u00a0– clients asking \u00a0“Hey, can (your name here) do that for us too?”<\/p>\n

So what is it about Great PMs that gets them these opportunities?\u00a0 I think it’s the\u00a0aspects I’ve tried to cover in these posts this week.\u00a0 By way of a summary, here are key building blocks of the great PM (my opinion!)<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2Performance and expertise:<\/strong>\u00a0 The foundation for credibility, trust, relationships, opportunities\u00a0<\/div>\n
    \n
  • Results on past efforts<\/li>\n
  • Known for doing a good and thorough job<\/li>\n
  • Increasing judgment, maturity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Business understanding<\/strong> – Understand the key\u00a0drivers<\/p>\n

      \n
    • What customers need and related priorities<\/li>\n
    • Business strategy, project drivers<\/li>\n
    • \u00a0Able to make tough tradeoffs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Communication Skills and Savvy:<\/strong> Communicate the right info at the right time, with courage and with\u00a0appropriate detail and style<\/p>\n

        \n
      • To Executives- bottom line, hard truths<\/li>\n
      • \n
        To Functionas groups- sensitive to their issues<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n
        To Team- providing context and motivation\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        Rapport with Executives and Functional groups:<\/strong>\u00a0 Interactions of mutual understanding and respect, non-victim attitude\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n
        \n
          \n
        • Understand their perspective and issues<\/li>\n
        • Therefore your assessments are believed<\/li>\n
        • Change is easier – you have influence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
          Process Understanding and flexibility:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Apply PM effectively and been senen as effective yourself\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n
          \n
            \n
          • PM techniques are valuable, not overhead<\/li>\n
          • Adjust for different types of projects<\/li>\n
          • Improvements happen faster<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            Relevant background, continuous learning:<\/strong>\u00a0 Foundation for guiding projects\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
            \n
              \n
            • Understand risks, make sound judgments<\/li>\n
            • Competent management of largest,\u00a0most complex, riskiest projects<\/li>\n
            • Learn more areas, expand opportunities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
              I’ll leave you with the thought that great things are possible in the careers of great PMs.\u00a0\u00a0 Perfection is not required;\u00a0 fit and flexibility for your environment are;\u00a0 and finally, in my experience Great PMness is not born, it’s made.\u00a0 The accumulation of experiences, the willingness to learn and grow, and taking on the consistent attitude of speaking up, making a difference, adjusting for your customers, and being the one who’s known as \u00a0helping and driving in a value-add way\u00a0to get it all done…..\u00a0 That’s a great PM and one who can have a great career!<\/div>\n
              Cinda Voegtli<\/div>\n
              www.ProjectConnections.com<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              I wanted to do my last big post on bridging from these ideas of what constitutes a\u00a0great PM to what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1],"tags":[231,1370,211],"class_list":["post-674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership","category-miscellaneous","tag-career","tag-leadership","tag-project-manager-role"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=674"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13855,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674\/revisions\/13855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}