Everyone is a Project Manager these days, no?
“It is just a title!”
You see it in every industry, job search or talking to your friends. I used to joke earlier in my career that I “didn’t know what I was doing!” and to a certain extent, at 24, I really did not. I was following the people above me, learning from the Partners, observing clients and making notes without realizing what I was actually capturing; what makes a Project Manager.
These days, a PM can be anything:
-A roofer who is now sitting in the office and barking orders at job sites, or ‘leading’ them
-A boomer who has learnt some excel and Trello who can send an email is ‘‘coordinating’ crews
Yes. They are handling the projects, but here’s the ugly truth: Managing Tasks is not the same as Project Management.
At 35, I have learnt that Project Management is a ‘craft’ honed over years of in class training, deep understanding and expertise in methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid); knowing risk management frameworks; advanced stakeholder management; resource allocation mastery and the big one: Ownership.
Project Ownership vs Pretend Management (also has PM as abbreviation!)
Project Ownership is one of the key aspects of being a good Project Manager as it touches on the key roles of a certified PM
Accountability - A PM is responsible for delivering the project on scope, schedule and budget, regardless of who executed it
Problem solving - A strong PM ‘takes the heat’, coordinates effectively and escalates where needed. The project demands it.
Stakeholder trust - Everyone relies on the PM to own communication, reporting and alignment.
End to end view - An effective PM sees the big picture. While some still view their projects on a day to day basis, it takes experience to see the next day, week, year.
I’m not saying that a Project Manager has to do everything; that’s burnout. But owning the process, outcomes and an effective delegation is key.
“A PM is only as successful as their team allows them to be”
A Project Manager’s success rises or falls with the team. I learned this the hard way. I once worked in an environment that consistently undermined the role of the PM — nobody knew what PMP meant, and few cared what the role entailed. It got to the point where even clients I had built strong relationships with questioned why I was still there. The truth is, the projects mattered, and I pushed myself to the edge trying to ‘do the right thing’ and ensure proper succession. Here’s the lesson: if your team doesn’t respect the role and actively hinders execution, they become your scope creep. At that point, the real risk to manage is whether staying in that environment is worth the cost.
Conclusion
The next time someone blurts that they’re '“basically a project manager”, just remember that just because you can apply a Band-Aid, you’re not a doctor. Project management isn’t about keeping track of tasks on a little app only; it’s about owning the project from end to end.
You don’t need a PMP to be a driving force in the role, but you do need the skills to lead effectively.