1. The IT informatization construction in China needs a large number of IT project managers.

China Information Industry and Market Research Annual Report 2004-2005 issued by CCID Consulting pointed out that in 2004, the IT market in China achieved sales of 408,365,438+billion yuan, an increase of 17.0% over 2003. Information technology has played an increasingly important role in strengthening supervision and improving work efficiency in government departments such as finance, finance, industry and commerce, taxation, customs and foreign trade. At the same time, it has played an increasingly prominent role in upgrading traditional industries, adjusting product structure, reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency.

IT can be seen that the informatization construction in China will be a continuous investment and will be carried out in the form of a large number of IT projects. Both IT application enterprises and IT service providers need a group of experienced and capable project managers to manage these IT projects. The project manager will be the key talent in the 2 1 century, and the IT project manager will be the key talent in the informatization development of China.

2. The project manager is one of the channels leading to the management of the company.

The characteristics and nature of the project manager's work determine that the IT project manager is a compound talent integrating technology and management.

The work content and management methods involved in IT projects are very similar to managing a small company, such as the relationship between project stakeholders, the use of project team members and other project resources, clear project objectives, and project financial indicators and analysis. Many small IT companies were founded from one project. So the job of the project manager is similar to that of the general manager of a small company. The project manager should also face and deal with the problems that the general manager of a small company meets and needs to deal with.

If enterprise management itself is regarded as a project, the general manager of the company is a super project manager, who is responsible for managing all the projects of the company. The company's projects are divided into two categories, strategic projects and operational projects. Strategic projects are internal process projects and operational projects are external projects. The general manager implements project management by appointing a project manager to be responsible for each project.

Through the practice of project management, the project manager not only completed the task of project management, but also improved the ability of enterprise management. So the project manager is one of the roads leading to the management of the company. For example, more than half of the department managers of IBM's global service department are promoted from project managers. The growth and maturity of the project manager is also the performance of the company's mature management.

3. A stage of professional maturity of professional managers

Everyone who wants to choose to be a project manager needs to be clear about why he chose this job. Don't think that the project manager is a position with the title of manager, and everyone will flock to it. With this "official standard" thinking, it is necessary to stumble as an IT project manager. The core of the project manager is to be responsible for the success or failure of the project. In the first class of training project managers, IBM clearly told everyone that choosing a project manager means that you have chosen a road, a road to take on more responsibilities and pressures.

So what are the advantages of being a project manager? The advantage of being a project manager is to take responsibility and let yourself grow. If you can't do it, you can't be a project manager. Some people dare not take any responsibility, or are good at pushing the responsibility out. I can't imagine how he can unite and lead the project team to complete the project. Taking responsibility is not simply taking responsibility. Some project managers work very hard and take all the responsibilities on themselves, but they don't break them down reasonably. As a result, they got more than they bargained for, and then they couldn't finish the task of the project. They are "stupid" project managers and are doomed to fail.

A real project manager, who takes responsibility conditionally, reasonably and rationally, is a clear manager, who can decompose responsibility reasonably, decompose pressure and take responsibility flexibly. Being a project manager and learning to take responsibility are the key links of professional managers' career development.

Professional characteristics and challenges of IT project managers

IT project management is to achieve the goal of IT project construction within the specified time and budget. The project manager's job is to make and execute the project plan (plan the work and execute the plan) to achieve the project objectives. The project manager manages the project, which is to define the project objectives, make feasible project plans for the project, and effectively implement the project plans. The project manager's project management determines the success or failure of the project.

Project management is an effective management mode. All benefits of project management need to be realized by the project manager. Any unsuccessful or failed project has a lot to do with the project manager. For example, the information management system project sponsored by IBM for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, due to the problems of time and resources, and the lack of system testing, caused many problems in use, that is, the project manager did not do a good job in project management.

1. Job characteristics of the project manager

The project manager must be responsible for the success or failure of the project. The project manager makes decisions every day. Whether it is the planning stage in the early stage of the project or the implementation stage of the project, the project manager should constantly make decisions. And to make a decision, we must have a sense of responsibility and be good at pushing things forward. Solving problems in progress is the correct way to solve problems, just as Comrade Xiaoping said that "development is the last word" in China's reform and opening up. It is normal for problems to occur during the project. Don't stop to dwell on this problem. A decision without a decision is the worst decision. The project manager must promote the formation of decisions and implement them.

The project manager should not only be able to take responsibility, but also be able to withstand pressure. Can't stand the pressure, don't be a project manager. The project manager is a management position. During the training of IBM's management candidates, the general manager specially told everyone that being a manager is a lifestyle choice, and you must be prepared for stress. We should not only complete our own work, but also be responsible for the results of others' work and solve and deal with unfavorable problems in others' work.

The project manager communicates every day. There are a series of stakeholders in the project, and they have an impact on the success of the project. The project manager must control these influences through communication. A project manager summed it up very well: the project manager should be responsible for three people, one is the customer, satisfying the customer and realizing the customer's goals, the other is the company leader and realizing the company's goals, and the third is the project team member. Customers and management often can't stand on the overall goal of the project, and the project manager has to make decisions that conform to the overall goal of the project, so it takes time to communicate and coordinate the relationship between all parties and the overall goal of the project and get support.

The project manager negotiates every day. The one-off project and the temporary team decide that the project manager is constantly facing new problems and conflicts. For example, the customer proposed a project change, but asked to keep the project duration, and the project members were unwilling to work overtime for the project objectives. Therefore, the project manager needs to negotiate with the project stakeholders to solve the problem.

2. The power challenge of the project manager

Organizations that adapt to project management usually have the characteristics of matrix organization. However, the temporary nature of the project management organization determines the limitations of the position power of the project manager in the matrix organizational structure. Many project managers complain that the responsibility of being a project manager is far greater than the power given by the company. For example, project members do not report directly to the project manager, and sometimes project members do not accept the tasks assigned by the project manager, which makes it difficult for the project manager to carry out his work. Therefore, in the internal training of project management in many companies, everyone is very eager to know the power of project managers in multinational companies and find the answer to this question. This is the power challenge of the project manager.

The power of managers in the organization is embodied in two aspects: first, the position power given by the company, such as clear personnel power, financial power and the power to directly evaluate employees. Generally speaking, employees will subconsciously obey the position power. Project managers are eager for position power in order to "calmly" direct and schedule the work of project members. The other is influence, which persuades others or managers to do their job well through goal orientation. The project manager can use influence. Guided by project objectives, arrange and dispatch project resources, and coordinate with the management of the company to win the support of the company in case of conflict.

Holding meetings and writing written reports are sharp tools for project managers to exercise their power. The project manager has the right to hold a project work meeting, invite relevant parties including the project leader of the company to discuss the problems in the project, make decisions and allocate resources. For example, if the project manager has no power to solve the conflict of resource arrangement, he can get the support of the company's top management through high-level meetings to solve the problem. Immediately after the meeting, a written report will be organized to record the decisions of the meeting and track the implementation of the decisions through the report. Through meetings and reports, it is the key for the project manager to effectively use the position power of the company's top leaders.

The challenge of 3.3. IT project manager

First of all, IT project management has its own characteristics. IT project management is not simply "IT+ project management". Compared with traditional projects, IT projects are more flexible in two aspects: the flexibility of applying IT objectives and the flexibility of project members' output. Enterprise IT application has a cognitive process. Before the project starts, neither Party A nor Party B can fully and completely define the objectives and contents of the project. In the process of project implementation, on the one hand, both parties will have new experience and understanding of the objectives and contents of IT projects and put forward new requirements. It is often difficult to define whether these requirements are clear about the initial project objectives or the expansion of the project scope. Project managers need to master the flexibility of project objectives. On the other hand, IT projects mostly involve software applications that combine knowledge and intelligence. In project management, to grasp the process of knowledge output, transfer and acceptance, the work efficiency and effect of project personnel will be uncertain because of different staff, different staff attitudes, technologies and emotions, which will lead to the flexibility of project members' output and project cost.

Secondly, IT project managers change from technology to management concept. IT field is a professional field, and IT project managers need technical and professional background and knowledge, so most project managers in IT field turn from technical background to management. The transition from technology to management must be a conscious process. Because people with technical background are more likely to focus on the technical aspects of the project, even keen on and pursue the advanced technology of the project, while ignoring the management and control of the overall goal of project management. The development of IT technology has gradually matured. Statistics show that the main reason for the failure of IT projects is project management, and the proportion of technical reasons has been very small. Project management is guided by project objectives, and it uses limited resources to achieve balance in project objectives, quality, time and cost.

Finally, the environment of IT project management in China. Many IT project managers have to face the characteristics of IT management environment in China because their understanding and grasp of IT application projects are still in the upgrading stage, as well as market competition and other factors. For example, some projects, in the case of unclear project objectives and scope, sign project contracts and start project implementation. The project risk management of this "open contract" is a special subject. Project managers in China must face such projects and adopt appropriate strategies to control the risks in the project process.

The growth path of project manager (how to take responsibility)

Project manager is a promising career direction, but it is also full of challenges. How can we grow up quickly?

1. learning and ability growth model

Only by consciously developing yourself can we grow rapidly. The characteristic of adult learning is that only by knowing and mastering how to learn, when and where to learn, and what new knowledge and skills to learn can we get the best learning effect. The following figure is a capacity development model.

Ability development must first break through "I don't know if I have the ability". Understanding project management is a career direction. By understanding the practice and knowledge of project management, you can "know that you have no ability", so that you can start capacity building in a planned way. Through study and practice, master project management, achieve "knowing ability", and use it freely in continuous application, and achieve the master realm of "not knowing ability".

Project Management With the development of IT application, new technologies, tools, management concepts and best practices are constantly emerging. Therefore, the research of project management is a long-term process. Through discussion and investigation, I analyze my own ability, find out my shortcomings compared with the new project management benchmark, further build my ability and improve myself, and enter a repeated cycle process.

2. Responsibility is the key to ability.

Taking responsibility is an attitude and the key to the ability of project managers. As a professional manager, attitude determines everything. Without a responsible attitude, no amount of knowledge and skills is meaningful. Through the success ability model shown in the figure below, the composition of project manager's ability can be explained, which can guide project managers to strengthen their own ability construction.

The key of the project manager is to take responsibility. The attitude of taking responsibility is an ability. And the attitude of taking responsibility is the core point of life and career development. At the MBA graduation ceremony of Fordham Business School in new york in 2003, a senior Wall Street financier with nearly 40 years of business experience emphasized two points when talking about the basic principles of his life and career development. I agree with him very much. First, "being the master" is an attitude and a spirit, especially when others are unwilling and afraid to take responsibility, so as to give themselves more opportunities. The second is "doing the right thing", which is a combination of understanding and experience. It is a kind of ability to face the complex environment, grasp the situation from the overall situation and the overall situation, clarify the key points, and grasp the relationship and order of things. The above two points are the courage to be responsible and the ability to be responsible, mutual cooperation and mutual support.

Combined with attitude is knowledge and skills. Among them, the acquisition of knowledge is relatively easy, generally through courses and self-study, and the development of the Internet also provides convenience for learning knowledge. Skills are the ability to apply knowledge and solve problems. Having knowledge does not mean having skills. For example, you can read all the legal knowledge, but there is no guarantee that you can go to court to help your client win the lawsuit. For another example, foreigners can get China recipes and detailed cooking instructions online, but they may not be able to cook authentic Chinese food. There is a lot of experience and knowledge in skills, which needs the practice and guidance of the master to understand and master. The knowledge and skills of project management also need to be learned in different ways, and how to acquire the skills of project management is more difficult.

3. Training of project managers

There are two aspects to the training of project managers. First, individuals who choose a project manager career should be responsible for their own career development, have a clear sense of conscious growth, and draw up their own development plans according to the three elements of the success capability model. For example, in the actual project work, solve problems, take responsibility, learn the knowledge of project management, and in the specific project work, apply the knowledge of project management and turn it into your own skills. On the other hand, enterprises need to clarify the position of project management in enterprise management, and training project managers is an important part of establishing project management system and mechanism.

IBM and HP have clear training plans for project managers. Project management is the core component of the company's operation management, and the project manager plays a key role in the operation management. From the perspective of human resource management, it is established that the project manager is one of the career channels of the company, and the career development plan of the project manager is formulated. The plan consists of two parts. One is a clear sequence of project manager positions: project manager, senior project manager, senior project manager, etc. , which defines the responsibilities and abilities of each position. According to the indicators of the project manager's key competency system, the project manager is evaluated and the position of each project manager in the sequence is determined. The second is to formulate the promotion path, so that the project manager can be promoted from project manager to senior project manager and from senior project manager to senior project manager through what kind of training and exercise.

There are three aspects in the series of training courses for project managers. The first is the introductory course for project managers, which is aimed at employees who have just started project management: basic knowledge of project management, project management applications, etc. Second, special courses in project management, such as negotiation in projects, managing e-commerce projects, managing global projects, etc. Third, soft skills courses for project managers, such as leadership courses, efficient teams, problem solving and decision-making, consulting technology, etc. Training courses can enable project managers to acquire knowledge of project management quickly, and discussion and experience sharing in class can also give students some skills.

The key to the growth of project managers is the improvement of actual combat skills. On-the-job training and guidance are effective methods of training. The project manager is dry, that is, the acquisition of skills in the success capability model comes from practice. Project management is both science and art, scientific knowledge can come from books and classrooms, and the art part must be practiced. Tutors can help project managers improve their practical experience in project management quickly and help them learn more about the application of project management from masters with project management experience. In addition, it is suggested to set up a project management club in the company, organize project managers to discuss regularly and share project management experience.

Skills of senior IT service professionals

IT project management ability is closely integrated with sales and consulting ability. . The whole process of project management is inseparable from project sales, especially for Party B who provides IT project services, the sales process of IT projects is the key link of project management, and the project manager must participate in it. Consulting is a working method, designing solutions for customers and providing them with acceptable working methods. It is not only an independent consulting service, but also a working method in the process of sales and project management.

The following figure illustrates the skill structure of senior IT service professionals, that is, sales, project management and consulting capabilities based on IT technical background (including IT infrastructure implementation, software and applications). An IT project manager with sales and consulting capabilities will become a senior professional in the IT service industry and will certainly become a leader in the development of the IT service industry.