http://www.pmhut.com/do-project-managers-need-in-depth-business-or-industry-knowledge Tue, 22 May 2012 18:28:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 http://www.pmhut.com/do-project-managers-need-in-depth-business-or-industry-knowledge/comment-page-1#comment-72099 James Clements Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:07:00 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=8488#comment-72099 Good article Michelle and a subject I've been interested in for a while. I agree with your assertion that solid project management skills can transcend the need to have detailed knowledge of the industry or product. In my own experience I have moved between industries and found this to be an advantage, at times, particularly when thrown into a troubled project as you are better able to take a wider view and look at actual performance and performance metrics more objectively. I do feel though that when you move from business to business or industry to industry their does need to be at least some level of relatedness (if that's a word) in the industries/businesses/products as you don't need everything to be brand new and sadly employers still look for industry or related experience. The comment in the second to last para about ensuring you have enough budget, time and people allocated caught my eye, how do we (project managers moving between industries) even know we have enough of these things if we don't understand the industry and if we're new to the organization, have enough good will to rely on people to advise on this honestly and accurately? Knowing whether you're being informed well when you are so reliant on others in this situation is the biggest challenge I think. Good article Michelle and a subject I’ve been interested in for a while. I agree with your assertion that solid project management skills can transcend the need to have detailed knowledge of the industry or product.
In my own experience I have moved between industries and found this to be an advantage, at times, particularly when thrown into a troubled project as you are better able to take a wider view and look at actual performance and performance metrics more objectively.
I do feel though that when you move from business to business or industry to industry their does need to be at least some level of relatedness (if that’s a word) in the industries/businesses/products as you don’t need everything to be brand new and sadly employers still look for industry or related experience.
The comment in the second to last para about ensuring you have enough budget, time and people allocated caught my eye, how do we (project managers moving between industries) even know we have enough of these things if we don’t understand the industry and if we’re new to the organization, have enough good will to rely on people to advise on this honestly and accurately? Knowing whether you’re being informed well when you are so reliant on others in this situation is the biggest challenge I think.

]]>