After my PMP and CDM certification, which happened about 3 years ago, I was elated to take on any challenge that the Project Management as a CDM throws at me. I held the basic premise that Project Management was a scientific discipline and the certifications would suffice.
My perception of Project management as a Science was developed from the fact that logic and order are fundamental to guiding a project to a success. Project management as seen through the certifications like PMP and Prince 2, appear primarily about defining and applying process. However as time passes and as you gain experience in management of the program, you realize you were wrong... You were so very wrong!!!
By defining Project management as Art... I do not mean to view a project plan, in the form of a Gantt chart, as a thing of beauty. It essentially is and should be treated as a list of facts with an order and relationship between them.
What I mean is… when projects go off track or get behind schedule then the creative, improvisational skills of the Project Manager really come into play. It’s an essential art to adapt to changing circumstances. The art of bringing the project team along with them on the journey essentially keeps the project on time and on budget.
So... Is project management an art that you're born with or a science that you can learn? The truth is, it's both…
Project Management is one area which requires both a creative and technical approach to achieve success. The two aren’t naturally compatible and it often takes someone with an appreciation of the nuances of each to keep the art i.e., dialogue going and deliver the science i.e. a good solution.
The key is donning the right cap to occupy the project manager role: to practices both art and science. One without the other is like a car with an accelerator but no brakes. Your project may get to its destination, but you will leave a trail of accidents behind you.
So... Do your drive your Project as an Art or Science?
I’m more art inclined than Science now
What are you? Write below in comments and let us know…
Signing off with a quote by Greg Cimmarrusti,
“Being a Project Manager is like being an artist, you have the different colored process streams combining into a work of art”
