PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Is project success that important?

What does a project manager do? Does he or she oversee projects? What is the role's primary objective? To complete the project on schedule, on budget, and within the scope? To accomplish project success, as learned while studying for project management certification.

Does this imply that successful project managers are only responsible for successful projects? And the one who is always late and over budget fails miserably.'

Well, no, not really.

Is all I'm trying to convey is that there isn't a straight link between project success and project management success?' Yes, that is exactly what I am attempting to convey!

Only roughly a third of all projects are judged successful, according to the report. Does this imply that two-thirds of project managers are inept? Personally, I do not believe this is the case. I've worked on enough projects where the schedule was halved because "the client said so" or the scope was changing quicker than T-1000 from the Terminator 2 movie to know that you don't always stand a chance.

What if you get a hopeless project to manage?' I learned while studying for Pmi Certification. Even if you and your entire team give it your all, the project will still be regarded a failure. Is this a sign that you've failed?' Even if you could cut the time it takes to slide from 18 to 6 months?

We don't have a lot of formal power as project managers; our authority is usually informal. This means that workplace politics may emerge, and your project team may be shattered one day. Someone could have fired a couple of your finest employees, consented to major modifications in scope, or refused to assist you with aspects you allocated to teams over which you have no authority. And he did all of this because he had the power to do so and had little interest in the project's success. Is it still making you feel bad about yourself as a project manager?

It's also vital to consider how a project manager affects the team. When a project team isn't disbanded immediately after the acceptance protocol is signed, but the same people work with each other again, it's a fairly common occurrence. Projects come and go, but teams stay the same. Consider the difference between a highly successful PM who is a jerk and a less successful PM who is a team player. Would you give up a pleasant working environment and good team chemistry in order to complete a few more projects on time?' I, for one, would not.

While I don't doubt that project success is an important part of project management, I wouldn't consider it to be a value superior to everything else. I know a few excellent project managers who are far from ideal. It makes no difference to how I see them. It doesn't change the fact that I'd choose any of them over a guy who could produce practically any project he worked on while also being despised by the project teams with whom he collaborated.

Project management is far too complicated to be seen solely through the lens of project outcomes.

Need more insights on the same? Enrol in a project manager or business analyst course today!

Richard Pierce An expert in Pmi and Iiba Certifications.