As the core leader of the project, the project manager is mainly responsible for the planning, organization, coordination and control of the project.
If you are non-tech-savvy but have excellent project management skills, you can still manage projects successfully. You can identify project requirements by working closely with the technical team, and rely on the technical team's expertise to assess the feasibility, schedule, and resource requirements of the project.
However, not being tech-savvy can present some challenges, such as: you may need to spend more time and effort understanding technical details and potential issues when communicating with the technical team; If you are unable to evaluate and make decisions on technical solutions, you may encounter some roadblocks in the execution of the project.
If you have certain technical knowledge, you can have a deeper understanding of project requirements, communicate more effectively with the technical team, and quickly identify and solve potential technical problems, evaluate and make decisions on technical solutions, and ensure that the project is carried out according to the established goals and plans.
Here's an example:
When you're planning a new project, you bring together a technical team leader to discuss a key feature that is about to be developed and ask them about the estimated completion time and required resources.
After careful consideration of the requirements, the technical team lead replied, "In order to fully implement this feature, we need two weeks, and we need four developers and one tester to work full-time." ”
You asked about the detailed calculations, and the technical team lead explained, "The feature involved multiple complex business logics, and we needed a lot of code writing and testing. In addition, there is a need to integrate with third-party services, which can present some unforeseen challenges. ”
If you're not tech-savvy:
You might be thinking, "Two weeks sounds like a reasonable timeline, after all, such a complex feature." You nod your head in agreement and instruct the technical team to follow the plan.
But if you're tech-savvy:
After reviewing the requirements document, he pointed out: "According to my understanding, this feature can actually be split into several relatively independent sub-functions. Some of these sub-features can be implemented quickly using existing components and frameworks without having to write code from scratch. In addition, integration with third-party services can also be done by calling ready-made APIs and does not take much time. If we take this modular approach to development, and make the most of the resources we have, I think we can do this in a week and only need three developers and one tester. ”
There are several favorable reasons why project managers are tech-savvy:
1. Effective communication: When project managers understand the technical details, they can better communicate with the technical team, clarify needs and expectations, and avoid misunderstandings.
2. Progress monitoring: The project manager can make a project plan through the project management tool Progress Cat, monitor the progress of the project, and ensure that the work is carried out according to the plan.
3. Risk assessment: Project managers who understand technology can more accurately identify possible technical risks in the project, so as to formulate more reasonable response strategies.
4. Resource allocation: Technical understanding helps project managers allocate resources more effectively. They can assign people based on the complexity of the task and the skills required, ensuring the efficient operation of the project team.
5. Customer/Stakeholder Relationship Management: When project managers are able to communicate effectively with technical stakeholders, they can better manage customer relationships and ensure the successful delivery of projects.
However, this does not mean that project managers have to be technical experts. They just need to have enough technical understanding to be able to communicate effectively with the technical team and make informed decisions.