Where is my Project Manager?

One of the biggest threats I have found on most projects, is the lack of a skilled project manager. As an Architect I am asked to assume this role a lot by default. Leading the development team and doing project management are not the same thing, and I am not a good project manager. Most companies I have worked with do not understand the roles of the Software Architect or the Project Manager, and they try to group them into the same role and call them a Technical Project Manager. The same is true of the Lead Developer and the Project Manager, they try to group them into the same role.

I think one of the things that keep companies from understanding the role of a project manager is that a project manager does not produce many tangible artifacts. When they are allowed to do their jobs properly they may produce project schedules and task lists, but that is about it. The rest of the time they are coordinating their team members activities, communicating with management, marketing, external customers, and internal customers. They are their team's first line of defense from being pulled off their scheduled task by management, marketing, external customers, and internal customers. They are also the one who ensures that deadlines are met by their team.

The Project Manager knows what is going on with every stakeholder on the project and are ensuring the communications between them are being handle effectively and efficiently. They are the Software Architect's biggest ally when they are doing their jobs correctly, and their biggest enemy when they are unqualified to do the job.

I have never seen a successful Technical Project Manager. They have either fallen behind in the technology, or they are still up to speed with technology and have no clue what project management is. They believe it's creating a very detailed project plan and then giving the marching orders. They are usually never good at keeping the communication channels running smoothly.

A lot of consulting firms like to throw their account managers (basically sales men) into the role of project manager. This always has a terrible effect on the project. They are usually not technically savvy and they have very little if any management skills. They stop by the project once or twice a week to check on the team, and to see if his lead developer is managing the project for him to their customer's satisfaction.

Any large scale high ceremony project must have a good project manager on board for it to succeed. Delivery does not = success. I define success as being delivered on time, within budget, and having a solution that is easily maintainable and updatable.

A good project manager is hard to find. They are just good managers in any given situation, whether it is in the software industry, customer service, or the restaurant business. They are usually a natural at it. I would rather work with a good project manager that has zero technical background, than a Technical Project Manager that has no clue how to keep the communication channels running smoothly. A project manager with good managing skills will trust their architect or lead developer to handle the technical decisions, so they don't need to be technically savvy. They also have a natural knack for reading people and can quickly tell when someone isn't qualified to be on their team or is blowing smoke.

Having been on over 20 projects I have seen 2-3 good project managers that I myself would hire. I will let you guess on how many out of those 20 projects we were forced to say delivery = success.