Project Managers: Understanding Technology is a Value Image by $ydney via Flickr BRIDGING THE COMMUNICATION GRAP THROUGH TECHNICAL AWRENESS Many project managers are very successful by simply managing a project plan, and then checking off tasks as they become?100% complete?. They can manage teams, budgets, and assess risk. They can perform all the essential and complex tasks of a project manager. They can do this without needing to dig too deeply into technical details. They can rely on the technical lead to resolve all technical issues. Inventory SoftwareBut what if the same project manager went one step further and understood how all the technical pieces fit together. What if they took the time and understood the technology in relation to the project they manage? This would add value to the entire project. Would the project team feel more respect for the manager? Is it easier to manage the expectations of upper management? Yes, Yes, and yes! I believe that understanding the technology behind a project you are managing will elevate you from task manager to a?real’ manager. I believe understanding technology can make you a?real? project manager. What does “understanding technology” really mean? What does it really mean to “understand technology?” Some might argue that you are not a true ‘technologist. You can’t call yourself a technologist unless you have spent countless hours learning, writing millions of lines of code, and surviving a prolonged outage lasting more than 30 minutes. Only then can you be called a technologist. After those battle wounds, you can run a data centre out of your cube, or hang endless quantities of network cables as victory medals. Wait, I’m not trying to be a system architect, a technical leader, or a developer. I’m just trying to deliver a project on time and within budget. So why is being technical an advantage to my abilities as a project manager. I apologize for the offense, but haven’t you ever spoken to a techie? It’s like trying to understand what Chewbacca was saying throughout all those Star Wars films. That may be it, Folks. You must be able communicate with people you manage. You can’t manage a project if you speak two languages. This will cause frustration and lead to lost productivity. I’m not suggesting that every PM should become a Chewbacca. I’m just suggesting that it is worth your time to fully understand the project you are managing. Understanding the technical issues and how they impact each other and the project as a whole. Understanding what it means when an app can start on a physical piece or hardware but does not show signs of life on VMware. You may be receiving error messages or warnings about the need to?increase file descriptor size. Your Web servers. These technical issues can be understood and recited if you are able to take the time to understand them. How?