I must not rust.
Clara Barton, Founder – American Red Cross
In a projectized organization, work is organized into project teams that form and disband when work is finished. Each person evolves into a project professional responsible for getting work done on time, on budget while satisfying stakeholders. Often there are no permanent job titles or permanent job assignments. There are few bosses and job titles. Teams and individuals self- manage their work.
This work environment is not for everyone. The atmosphere is intense with tight deadlines. The flat hierarchy places a premium on people with ideas who can implement and commercialize them. Status and salary are earned and based on real value added contributions.
Special projects are also critical for your professional development. They offer you the opportunity to do and learn new things. They become your organizational learning laboratory. They offer you access to higher management where you can reveal your value proposition or help you develop a higher value proposition.
We’re all going to be PM’s for these reasons:
- Customers want more, faster, cheaper, and better.
- Product life cycles are halved and shrinking further.
- People must do more, faster, with less.
- Cross-functional virtual project teams do more work.
- Work is core-processed or projectized.
- Project manager replaces middle manager.
- Work is chunked into projects and sub-projects.
Life Lesson Earned: Join the Project Management Institute. Get certified as a Project Management Professional.