Chad R. Parker, PMP’s Post

View profile for Chad R. Parker, PMP, graphic

Founder @ Storyboard PM (See "About") - Transformational Project Management (Individuals | Teams | Organizations)

How can Operational Managers get the most out of extra projects assigned to them? Functional Managers are not Project Managers, and yet they are often asked to manage projects on top of their daily operations. It's not the best use of your company's resources... Neither activity gets the full attention it deserves from its Manager. Functional Managers are not as good at project management as Project Managers and Project Managers are not as good at functional management as Functional Managers are. And your teams don't learn, grow, and progress as well as they could in becoming better leaders, managers, and teammates unless the work is properly structured and assigned. (What do you think? Comment below) Organizational Steering Committees should appoint Project Managers and teams that function alongside ongoing Operations in the Organizational Structure for the length of the project. Project Managers should then work with Functional Managers to negotiate time needed on projects from subject experts who still work in both areas. Functional Managers should delegate Project Management to someone else on their team if the organization is just giving them projects to manage by default. Members of the team should request one of them own project work and become the Project Manager, granted this takes leading by influence and can be seen as insubordination. Managers can more easily Sponsor the project, even if somewhat informally. They can help the Project Manager progress the work on that front. They can even still report back to the Executive Suite concerning the project, if that's how the company chooses to operate. I have been both an Operational Manager and a Project Manager for several years in each capacity. I have found that Operational Management is great for perpetuating tried and true practices and consistency, while Project Management is best for innovations, creating better processes and best practices, and scaling up your efforts. But one employee shouldn't be expected to manage both at the same time, because you'll get burnt out; it's like having 2 full-time jobs. (Anyone else experience that?) Follow me for more tips on how to integrate better project management, especially in functional environments that are not quite sure where it fits in your organization and its practices. Let's make our work more fluid and advance our careers and companies in more practical ways, even if it questions (debunks) the status quo. #businessprogress #projectmanagement #professionalgrowth

Chad R. Parker, PMP

Founder @ Storyboard PM (See "About") - Transformational Project Management (Individuals | Teams | Organizations)

8mo

Having been both an Operational Manager and a Project Manager for many years in each, I have realized that most organizations do not know how to use each discipline hand in hand to achieve its full benefits. In fact, they pit the two against each other. Each serves a different purpose as different forms of management and are best used in tandem with one another, rather than replacing one or the other approach.

Like
Reply

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics