Abstract
The project manager is key to the success of any project. But the path to becoming a successful project manager is ill defined. In this study, the authors analyzed interview results of 87 project managers’ responses to questions associated with entry into the field, career progression, and advice for the new project manager, seeking to better understand practicing project manager career progression. Qualitative analysis techniques were used to identify recurring themes from the interview summaries. The themes and the resulting conceptual framework provide evidence that supports the development of successful project manager career path. Further, the results suggest individual project management competencies in soft skills as a key enabler of project execution.
Highlights
Project managers are informed by a number of sources contributing to a wide body of knowledge, including the International Project Management Association’s (IPMA) ‘Eye of Competence’, The Australian Institute of Project Management’s ‘Professional Competency Standards for Project Management’, the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) ‘Project Management Body of Knowledge’ (PMBOK), PMI’s ‘Project Management Competency Development Framework’ (PMCDF), and the ‘Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards’ (GAPPS) program
The main objective was to investigate project managers and to understand the phenomena of project management by asking successful project managers to describe their views on how their project management careers evolved, and what advice born of experience they are able to share with others
The fact that there is a PMI Project Management Competency Development Framework would seem to be consistent with the view that project manager capabilities contribute to project success
Summary
The PMBOK itself may point to this indirectly by including a high degree of emphasis on the planning, and monitoring and controlling process groups rather than on execution (Koskela & Howell, 2002). This may suggest that the activities related to actual execution are linked to individual experience, training, capabilities and personal style. Since it is the project manager and project team who execute the project, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the project manager must play a significant role in converting project plans into execution
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