- Written by Dan Harrison
One of the most common JSF requests I receive is Project Manager. It’s a logical request because it is a very common role. Project Managers can be found in almost every organization within every industry; and this is why Project Manager cannot be a JSF. It is too generic.
Project Managers can be found within engineering companies and software companies. The same title can be found on construction sites and within manufacturing plants. Strategic consulting firms and landscaping companies all have Project Managers.
About the only thing Project Managers within engineering, software, construction, manufacturing, consulting, and lawn care have in common is their title. The traits that make a Project Manager successful in engineering are not the same for Project Managers in other industries.
Making matters more challenging, Project Manager is often an individual’s functional role and not a job title.
Directors of Engineering are often times assigned the role of Project Manager; however, their official title is Director of Engineering. What does this mean?
It means the Director of Engineering JSF includes the traits necessary to effectively project manage engineering initiatives since it is critical for this JSF.
This is true for all the job titles that need to lead and manage projects. The specific project management traits are already included within the JSF.
There are other things to consider that have a great impact of the content of the JSF – for example interpersonal interactions, number of people supervised, etc.
So, in conclusion...
Although, we cannot create a catch all Project Management JSF we have already captured the project management traits within the Job Titles that incur the responsibilities of a Project Manager.
If you have other JSFs or would like to discuss how to address other generic cross-functional roles, please share.
Discussions like these help us all learn and better serve our clients.
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