The guru can't handle it: who definitely shouldn't be appointed project manager

In any organization, the success of a project directly depends on who is leading it. Often, it seems logical to appoint as manager the most experienced employee in the field in which the project is being implemented - the best IT specialist, the best oil worker, the best financier, lawyer or marketer. That is, a person who has a deep understanding of the industry, can answer any questions and is considered a recognized guru. But it is precisely this approach that often becomes the main reason for the failure of a project.

An excellent specialist in his field does not necessarily have management skills - the ability to build communications, plan, delegate and motivate a team. As a result, the project may face coordination gaps, unclear roles, or poor control of schedule and budget. How then to choose a good leader?

Who will fail as a leader?

One of my first large-scale projects was related to the implementation of an ERP system in an insurance company. Before my arrival, they had already tried to implement it, but to no avail. The project was led by the Deputy Director of IT, a technical expert with deep knowledge of the system who knew ERP inside and out. It would seem that the ideal candidate. But the project failed.

The reason is the substitution of competencies. ERP implementation is not only about IT. This is the transformation of business processes, management integration, which affects all divisions of the company. This is a zone of responsibility, where not only hard skills are important, but also management skills: the ability to negotiate, delegate, build communications and make decisions in conditions of uncertainty.

Technical professionals-whether IT director, architect, engineer, or technologist-are often accustomed to "doing it with their hands." But project management requires other roles: coordinator, facilitator, negotiator. If a person is not ready to switch to these tasks, he quickly gets lost - especially in situations where he needs to act through others, and not for others.

The second typical mistake is appointing the head of a specialized department as the project manager: IT director, chief engineer, director of finance, marketing, procurement, heads of legal and HR services. Each of them can be an effective functional manager, well-versed in their field and mastering operational logic. But this does not mean that he will cope with the task of project management. Such managers, as a rule, have management experience, but within the framework of operational activities, not project ones. And these are fundamentally different formats.

Operations are based on predictable processes. A project is always a unique goal, limited resources and a high degree of uncertainty. In addition, heads of functional departments simply do not have enough time. Project management in such cases is perceived as an "additional burden" rather than a priority. As a result, the project stalls, loses momentum, the team is left unattended, and key decisions are postponed or made late.

For a project to move forward, it needs not the smartest or the busiest, but a dedicated and managerially mature leader. And this is a completely different competence.

Top managers as failed project rescuers

Sometimes companies take the third path: they appoint a top manager, for example, a deputy general director or the general director himself, as the project manager. The idea seems logical - a respected person, can influence resources, knows the entire company. But in practice, most often this does not work either.

These people solve corporate governance problems. They don't have time to immerse themselves in the day-to-day operations of the project. Moreover, they often do not master project management methodology, which means they cannot provide the required level of control and coordination.

Their role is to be the curator or customer of the project, but not its direct leader.

The best specialist plus one organizer - the perfect combination

In any project there are two circuits: technological and managerial. The ideal leader is the one who is able to combine them into a single system: linking deadlines, resources, people, budget and risks into a manageable structure. Such a specialist combines both hard skills and soft skills, knows how to think systematically and act proactively.

A good example of a project manager is Sergei Korolev. He is often called the "father" of Soviet cosmonautics, but he was more than just a brilliant engineer. First of all, Korolev was a brilliant organizer and project leader: he knew how to assemble teams, coordinate many contractors, ensure synchronization of all processes and lead the project to results - despite pressure, restrictions and risks. It was his managerial talent that allowed him to implement the most complex space programs - from the launch of the first satellite to Gagarin's flight.

In real business, such generalists are the exception. Therefore, when choosing a project manager, it is more logical to give priority not to a technical expert, but to a manager who knows how to build a system. Knowledge in the subject area can be covered by a team of architects, analysts, and technologists. Their job is to offer solutions. The manager's task is to ensure that these decisions are implemented on time and within budget.

Another rare example of a successful combination of the qualities of a manager and an expert is Elon Musk. Despite his eccentricity, he has repeatedly demonstrated his excellent skills in project management. At the same time, Musk has deep technical knowledge in engineering, AI, electric vehicles and rocket science, and is actively involved in the details of product development. SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink are just some of his successful projects.

Key skills of a strong project manager:

- time and resource management;

- budget and financial plan management;

- risk and uncertainty management;

- team building and motivation;

- communications with stakeholders and contractors;

- decision-making under conditions of incomplete information;

- organizing interaction between business and technology;

- focus on the result, not the process.

This approach has been confirmed in my experience. In the ERP project that I already mentioned, I took on the team the same technical guru who had previously failed the project as a manager. This time he worked as an architect - he was responsible for technical solutions and did it flawlessly. I was involved in management: I built processes, distributed roles, controlled deadlines and budgets. And it was in this context that the project was successfully completed. The company finally received the reports it had been waiting for for several years.

A project manager is first and foremost a manager. This role is best filled by a person who understands the essence of project management and knows how to integrate the efforts of the team. Appointing lone experts, overworked department heads or top managers to this role is a mistake that can be costly. Ideally, the project manager should also have a good understanding of the industry and be an excellent manager, but such people are difficult to find. Therefore, it is important to remember: the lack of competencies, unlike management skills, can be easily compensated by competently forming a team: placing nearby strong specialists whom the manager trusts. And then the project will be doomed to success.

Source: RBC https://pro.rbc.ru/demo/6846fb199a79477521603947