The Flight to Project Management
As a kid, I always thought about how cool it would be to fly an airplane — but the fear of air turbulence and the paranoia of a possible (but highly unlikely) flight crash left me second-guessing. So much that I had to give up in making said dream a reality without the fear of death creeping over me. It was through that that I discovered the role of an Air Traffic Controller.
An Air Traffic Controller’s job revolves around two things: safety and efficiency. They make sure that the airspace isn’t too crowded, they guide pilots during takeoff and landing, and they monitor the aircraft as it travels. Life turned this way and that and I didn’t really end up becoming an Air Traffic Controller (or a Pilot) as an adult; I am the next best thing though — a Project Manager.
And I guess being a project manager is pretty much like being an Air Traffic Controller. Having thought of the analogy breaks the notion that refers PM’s as above the hierarchy of the team, when in fact, we are not — we are working WITH the team.
We Communicate
While this may seem as the most obvious task it’s definitely the most difficult to master. Each team member relays a message in a different way (despite the standard jargon) and often times it’s the whole team relaying a message to you at the same time. As the overseeing Project Manager, I had to learn how to channel that; a lot like how an Air Traffic Controller conducts the aircraft’s flight patterns. Weaving through tasks, inquiries, issues, and making sure that everyone knew when, how, and where that airplane was supposed to land.
We do not need to be an expert at flying
In this analogy, the aircraft arriving to its destination is our goal, aircraft pilots are the product builders (devs and designers) and the passengers are the product owners. Our job is to get them to arrive safely. So this would mean coordination with all the people involved with the aircraft.
But we have to be knowledgeable at basically everything. We are every bit of something in between; PMs are striking the balance between product ownership and product user, product designer to product builder . We also become stewards of time, budget, scope, UI/UX and overall quality.
So we may know basics (or more), we know how to study weather and predict outcomes to achieve a smooth sailing flight/process. We calculate risks, solve problems, make decisions. And in some cases, we handle multiple projects at the same — so we organize, maintain space and standards.
We may rely mostly on soft skills, cause it’s these skills that keep things together. We do empowering things that empower people. We are that one person in the company with connective skills, not just from one company to another but in connecting internal teams/departments as well. Our meetings become conversations, we make clients understand what we are trying to do — schedule, dodge storms, become more efficient, and arrive at the destination in the best outcome possible.
We are critical, not optional
I’ve read through many internet articles saying tech companies don’t really need projects managers, where the cons of having one outweigh the pros.
But if you ask me as to why does a company need a project manager is like asking why does the airline industry need air traffic controllers.
If we’re doing our things well, no one will notice.
Ready. Set. Launch.
But with us Project Managers, we hope you never land — we only hope that you keep soaring.
I know this is just a simple and very general overview to what a Project Manager is. Three years of experience into it and there is still so much to learn. There’s no exact formula, code or guideline to it. And there may be a better analogy to it than aircraft and air traffic control. I am soar-y. (lol)
