Familiarity with or knowledge in the following areas of interest within the discipline of Project Management are important to achieving success as a project manager:
- Identification and definition of a project
- Development of specified and implied requirements
- Development of specified and implied tasks
- Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
- Earned Value Management (EVM)
- Development of milestones and timelines
- Development of integrated schedules
- Network Diagrams
- Critical Path Method (CPM)
- Program Evaluation and Review Techniques (PERT)
- Activity sequencing
- Progress tracking
- Project management tools (Gantt charts, software, formulas, templates, etc.)
- Team development
- Team building
- Stakeholder management
- Conflict management and resolution
- Cost estimating/planning
- Managing to a budget
- Role of the team leader or project manager
- Role of the team member
- Anticipating and managing change
- Dealing with uncertainty
- Dealing with unpredictability
- Risk identification and management
- Procurement document types (types of contracts)
- Development and use of a Lessons Learned database
- Core Documents (Project Charters, Mission Need Statements, Project Management Plans, Quality Control Plans, etc.)
- The 5 Process Groups of a project (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing)
- The 9 Knowledge Areas of project management (IAW the Project Management Body of Knowledge…Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communications, Risk, and Procurement)
- Conflict fluency related to the 5 phases and 9 Knowledge Areas
Anyone in nearly any position can conceivably be called upon to be a project team member or even lead a project. Therefore, all professionals should be exposed to the principles and tenets of project management as it is used in industry and government. Without a fundamental understanding of the above listed issues, project managers are bound to run into basic conflicts that could be avoided and have a better understanding of how to comprehensively address larger conflict issues.
©2008 Dave Gerber and Dave Maurer – Extracted from “Are You a King or Queen of Conflict…in Project Management?
