Do You Want to Be a Project Manager?

Project management is not for everyone. I emphasized above that it is not a technical job. It is about getting people to perform work that must be done to meet the objectives of the project. So when I am asked what I consider to be the most important attributes for project managers to have, I always say that people skills are number one through three. Then below that comes everything else. If you can deal with people, you can either learn to do everything else or delegate it to someone who can do it. But being able to do everything else without being good at dealing with people just won’t cut it.

So when I am asked what I consider to be the most important attributes for project managers to have, I always say that people skills are number one through three.

Now the question is, do you really want to be a project manager? Do you like having responsibility with very limited authority? Do you enjoy working to impossible deadlines, with limited resources, and unforgiving stake-holders? Are you, in other words, a bit masochistic? If you are, then you will love being a project manager.

If you are the boss of project managers, these are things you should consider in selecting people for the job. Not everyone is cut out for the job.