SPA Conference session: How to lose friends and alienate people - on becoming a project manager. | |||
| One-line description: | Developers slag off project managers and think they could do a better job - why don't they? | ||
| Session format: | Goldfish bowl (75 mins) [read about the different session types] | ||
| Abstract: | Working as a developer or coach on dozens of projects, I only came across two project managers who appeared (to me as a developer) to be good at their job. Being on projects with rubbish project management I saw the large effect that project managers can have, and wondered how they could get it so wrong - it doesn't look like it should be rocket surgery. I thought I might be able to do better so became a project manager. Almost immediately my decision to go into project management was met by a mixture of incredulity and sympathy by developers I had worked with. I was met by some hostility and almost derision by developers I hadn't worked with. What should project managers do? What do they actually do? Does it matter if they appear rubbish to developers as long as they do their job, whatever that is? Why are developers so hostile to project managers? Why do they think they can do a better job but then avoid ever doing it? Do you need a project manager at all? | ||
| Audience background: | Everyone who has worked on several teams. | ||
| Benefits of participating: | If you are a project manager, then learning how to be a better project manager. If you aren't a project manager, then learning how to interact with a project manager better. | ||
| Materials provided: | None | ||
| Process: | Goldfish bowl. I'll provide the questions, and moderate. | ||
| Detailed timetable: | 00:00 start 01:15 finish | ||
| Outputs: | Write-up on poster. | ||
| History: | Not presented this before. | ||
| Presenters | |||
| 1. Ivan Moore Team Optimization |
2. | 3. | |