What Is a Project Manager?

My wife and I recently went to Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago to see and hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). Our seats were on the first balcony and from there we could see the entire orchestra below. As all the participants in the event gathered and preparation for the performance unfolded, I began to see the upcoming performance as a very complex project and the conductor as a highly skilled Project Manager.

We got there a bit early and when we were seated the orchestra stage was empty except for the chairs of the orchestra members and the podium for the conductor. But after a bit, the orchestra members started to come out sporadically and took their seats in groups over the course of about 20 minutes. The strings got settled together and started warming up, creating random and unconnected noise as they tuned and readied. Ditto the woodwinds, the brass, percussion, etc.

The cacophony of noise during warm up was dissonant and bore no resemblance to what we were about to hear. Then the conductor stepped up to the podium, the Hall quieted, the conductor raised his baton, and the assembled orchestra stiffened to attention. And then there was music!

Project Manager Understands Individual Roles

After the performance I began to think more deeply about the parallels between the role of the conductor and the manager of a large project. Just as the conductor can’t play every instrument in the orchestra, he or she understands the skill required to play each instrument, the sound it should make, and the importance it brings to the overall symphony being performed.

Likewise, a good Project Manager doesn’t need to be an expert business analyst, hardware or data architect, software developer, or network architect. But he or she does need to understand the role each function plays, where it fits within the overall project plan and execution, and the capabilities of each player in implementing a successful project.

Delivers the Artistic Vision

The conductor isn’t always the composer of the piece to be played, but he appreciates and is charged with delivering the artistic vision of the piece. Just like the conductor, the Project Manager may not be the architect of the entire solution being envisioned. However, he or she understands its components and elements, their function, and how they must fit together to form the ultimate solution he or she is charged with delivering.

Has the Complete Project View

The conductor is the person involved in the performance with a view of the entire score. The score is the book with each musician’s part to be played in it. A cellist will have the cello music in front of them, but they can’t see what the flutes or the violins should be playing. With the score and a knowledge of how the music should sound, the conductor directs the rehearsals and pulls all the pieces together to create the final performance. Likewise, a good Project Manager has a view and perspective over the entire project with an eye toward what the final deliverable will look like. His or her “score” is the solution design and the project plan. The “scores” of the individual sub-teams and sub-team members are the detailed workplans that are the components of the project plan.

Develops the Project Plan

The Conductor directs the tempo, pace and volume of the musical performance based on his or her understanding of the musical piece to be played and the capabilities of the players in the orchestra. Per Wes Kenney, Music Director of the Ft. Collins Symphony, “Much like painting a picture, the conductor begins with a vision and then executes their craft to make it real. A conductor brings a unified vision to the music. The conductor considers every aspect of the music……and work(s) with the orchestra to make that vision come alive.”

Likewise, the Project Manager develops and drives the project plan. The Project Manager understands the resources at his or her disposal, the skills those resources bring to the project, the timing and pace of plan execution and the dependencies that need to be reflected in the overall project plan. He or she considers the sub-plans of each contributing discipline on the project and brings a unified vision of what the final product should be. The Project Manager is empowered, like an orchestra conductor, to bring that vision to life.

What Is a Project Manager?

The function of the Project Manager goes well beyond the ability to “check the box” and hold meetings to ensure tasks are completed on time. Like the conductor of a 100-piece orchestra, a great Project Manager is intimate with all the pieces and provides a firm guiding hand to ensure that all the components add up to a great final performance.