and the Oscar goes to...

I sometimes get the question what I think is the role of the Project Manager, or PM. Of course, this differs a lot depending on the project and the organization, but I usually answer with a short anecdote. Early in my career, a seasoned (and cynical) PM said that we as PM's are only needed to step-in where others fail or things go wrong. He went on to say that if everyone in the organization did what they were supposed to do, there would be no need for the PM. Not even for reporting, since everything would be on time, within budget and with the right quality.

Let's think of a hypothetical company, delivering turnkey installations for a client. The sales team agrees with the client on a scope which is well within the known boundaries of what the organization can handle, at a price and a schedule that in line with experience. The engineering team starts engineering work, does it only once without rework, and hands in the specification on time to the procurement team. They place all orders, within budget, with approved vendors from the vendor list, and the vendors not only promise to deliver on time, they actually do so, without exception. In the meantime, procurement has arranged for civil and constructions contractors to be on site, and they finish with ample time for the commissioning crew to actually do their work in the planned time, not having to squeeze in 2 months of work in to a fortnight. The client happily takes over the plant and pays the final installment.

What is wrong with this picture? Obviously, none of the participants seems to be having any market pressure to deal with, and it was and most likely always will be an impossible scenario. But even in the rare occasion that it would actually happen, I can see a lot of tasks for a PM. If everything goes easy, why not try to optimize further, sell an early finish to the client? Find win-win scenarios with suppliers and contractors? There is a lot that can be optimized even in a "comfortable" project!

My view on the PM role is rather that he/she is like the director of a movie. He/she is the one who calls the shots, knows the strengths and weaknesses of the entire team, makes them work together and most importantly, is responsible for the final result. The Director also takes the tough discussions with the producer (project sponsor / client), but is not necessarily visible in the end product, the project outcome. The stars of the project team, the engineering-, procurement-, construction- and commissioning teams (to name a few) all report to the director on the set, and if he/she calls for a re-take, that's what's happening! As with movies, getting your name known as a director (PM), is more difficult than if you are a leading actor, however no leading actor on his own has been able to put together an entire movie.

So just like in the world of film, where the Director occasionally get honored with an Oscar or another price, every project company should have an annual event to select and celebrate the best Project Management achievements within the organization during the past year. In addition, why not use the title "Project Director” for the most senior PM's in your organization? This fits well in a 3 level career path for PM's, starting with "Project Manager", going to "Senior Project Manager" and finally to "Project Director".

For more discussions on how to best utilize your PM resources, don't hesitate to contact me: staffan@odin-projects.ch