Intellectual Capability vs Project Management

Sting said:
Many (not all) engineers are pompous arseholes who believe that the world revolves around them. Best is to leave them in their little cages and let professionals with the correct skill sets deal with customers, suppliers, contractors, etc.
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I guess the actual problem here is that based on what grep said, since the PM is soooo dependent on the engineers, it is hard to justify why PMs get a higher salary than engineers.
 
CamiKaze said:
I guess the actual problem here is that based on what grep said, since the PM is soooo dependent on the engineers, it is hard to justify why PMs get a higher salary than engineers.
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The salary issue is valid. It is not necessary for a PM to earn more than an engineer and, if it was my company, it would never happen.
 
I might have been a bit harsh but all I can relate to is my own experience. If the client calls that they are unhappy about whatever situation, PM tells engineer to call client for an update. If the project is running out of budget, PM requires input as to why this is. Unfortunately I can go on and on.

Client facing maybe, but all I see a PM is as a, "I am not sure but I will get my guys to call you" person. My mother can do that.
 
Grep said:
I might have been a bit harsh but all I can relate to is my own experience. If the client calls that they are unhappy about whatever situation, PM tells engineer to call client for an update. If the project is running out of budget, PM requires input as to why this is. Unfortunately I can go on and on.

Client facing maybe, but all I see a PM is as a, "I am not sure but I will get my guys to call you" person. My mother can do that.
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Very poor PM, that. More of a buck-passer than anything else.
 
Sting said:
Many (not all) engineers are pompous arseholes who believe that the world revolves around them. Best is to leave them in their little cages and let professionals with the correct skill sets deal with customers, suppliers, contractors, etc.
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+1
 
I feel your pain. I am a software developer with 15+ years of experience who wants to move into the PM domain. I am finding it really difficult to make the transition.

I think I have the development background to manage a development team on their terms while having the planning and process management skills to deal with the management side of things. I do think that the ability to understand the technical issues that face a team combined with good planning is a killer combination but I am yet to be able to slot into the role.

It makes me a sad panda sometimes.
 
BobsLawnService said:
I feel your pain. I am a software developer with 15+ years of experience who wants to move into the PM domain. I am finding it really difficult to make the transition.

I think I have the development background to manage a development team on their terms while having the planning and process management skills to deal with the management side of things. I do think that the ability to understand the technical issues that face a team combined with good planning is a killer combination but I am yet to be able to slot into the role.

It makes me a sad panda sometimes.
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I spent quite a few years managing engineers, and the products they developed. Overall, it was a good experience, but I went back to the hands-on side of things afterwards. All the things that I enjoyed about technology that got me into it in the first place were missing. Although, I respect the work that the good PMs do (just like engineers, some are great, some are k*k), I would seriously consider whether or not you really want this (after 15 years, I expect that you are a pretty good developer) - same to the OP.

As a side note, so you know what symptoms to look for, when I was doing mostly pure management, I would start more and more home coding projects, until eventually I asked myself why I moved away from doing this is a career. In general, a marked up tick in home projects (coding, carpentry, taxidermy, or whatever), is a sure fire indicator that you're burning out in you current job and need a creative outlet.
 
cguy said:
As a side note, so you know what symptoms to look for, when I was doing mostly pure management, I would start more and more home coding projects, until eventually I asked myself why I moved away from doing this is a career. In general, a marked up tick in home projects (coding, carpentry, taxidermy, or whatever), is a sure fire indicator that you're burning out in you current job and need a creative outlet.
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This is exactly what I'm going thru now. I'm a developer at heart. But chasing money and position power took me down the management route.
 
midnightcaller said:
This is exactly what I'm going thru now. I'm a developer at heart. But chasing money and position power took me down the management route.
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I suggest that you keep actively looking for alternatives. I now earn more as a developer than any PM or 1st Tier manager I've ever heard of. I didn't know this was possible back then, which is why I moved into management in the first place.
 
If you want to be a good PM all you need to do is figure out how to use MS project. I do not envy them at all, on the construction sites that I'm on, they end up being forced to be the biggest *******s and idiots ever. That is part of our environment however, the language that we use there is a bit below the belt (even the woman speak like that).
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Lol I don't care who flames me. A PM is the workplace equivalent of a mommy...
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Reminds me of this:

[video=youtube;BKorP55Aqvg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg[/video]
 
If you like paper work, meetings and wiping noses, arses and changing nappies you will love being a PM.
 
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