True or False - AEC Professionals Must Become Project Managers?
Anthony Fasano, PE, AEC PM, F. ASCE
Helping engineers become value-driven PMs & engaging leaders.
When we work with AEC firms to help them build custom project management development programs, we always have to help them answer the all important, but difficult question, “What is a project manager in your organization?”
Many AEC project managers view the position of project manager as a key milestone in their career progression, something most professionals are very focused on achieving. The position is coveted in a way that others are not. The challenge is that many organizations don’t view it as a position at all. In fact, it’s more of a designation, or something you do, in addition to your primary role.
For example, I may be working as a Civil Engineer, but I’m also a Project Manager. It’s rare that AEC professionals have the sole title, “Project Manager.”
In my forthcoming book, Project Management: The Holy Grail of Sustainable Growth for AEC Firms, one of the chapters is titled Identity Crisis: Who or What is an AEC PM? - and covers this exact issue.
Don’t all AEC professionals have to become project managers at some point in their careers, even if they don’t get the title? Does it make sense to call them project managers, or is it just a role they play in addition to other roles? Simply put, is it just one of the many hats they are wearing?
One of the best ways we’ve been able to help AEC Organizations think through this, both in the public and private sectors, is to consider the position of project manager as more of an overlay that goes on top of another title/position. So back to my example earlier, I am a civil engineer, but I also manage projects. In that scenario, my official title might be civil engineer, and I am on an engineering career path, but with a PM overlay. Having a dedicated PM career path would be confusing considering project management is very rarely the ONLY job responsibility of an AEC professional.
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I will caveat all this by saying that some organizations, typically larger ones, create a Project Management Office, also known as a PMO, which is a group or department within an organization that helps manage projects. PMOs are responsible for ensuring that projects are delivered on time and within budget and that they meet the best practices of the organization and industry standards.
In this scenario, it is very possible that an organization has a dedicated career path for PMs who work within the PMO because their main title and role will be Project Manager.
The bottom line: you must define the role of a project manager within your organization. Is it a primary role, a catchy title, or something that most of your professionals will do at some point in their career in addition to their other responsibilities? It’s certainly worth spending the time to figure it out. After all, most of your employees desire to be one. Didn’t you?
Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute | 800-920-4007 www.EngineeringManagementInstitute.org
Founder @ PMTI | 80,000+ PMPs | Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc | PMBOK Author | Follow for posts on Project Management & PMP Tips & Tricks
2moSpecializing in technical expertise, innovation, or leadership in other areas can also propel professionals forward. Embracing diverse career trajectories within AEC firms can lead to a more dynamic and resilient organization. Anthony Fasano, PE, AEC PM, F. ASCE
Project Executive, Sr Project Manager at VHB
3moIf we value, the title more than the skill set, it may be the root cause of the identity crisis, as being a Project Manager is a skill set itself. Perhaps the idea of growth should be more dependent on what the individual is looking to achieve and what they enjoy. A Project Engineer is as valuable as a Project Manager. It is difficult for someone to be successful at both.
Helping AEC Executives Reduce Engineering Turnover, Boost Productivity & Build High-Performing Inclusive Teams to Meet Workforce Demands | Speaker | Advisor | DEI in AEC | LinkedIn Top Voice | STEMDisrupHer
3moMany smaller AEC firms haven’t focused on job architecture. While a role may require some PM tasks it doesn’t make it a PM role. Differentiating the difference is important.
Civil Engineer/Construction Manager @ Next Gen Developers | Project Management
3moI do second the idea shared. And you did hit the issue right from its core. It all boils down to what the organization defines. If the PM is a specific role or just a catchy statement. And it is also worth noting that most AEC businesses owners don't have any PMO in their organization, and mostly because they don't know how to set up one, and other times because the business owner finds that to increase their cost so they prefer to multitask with an employed Civil Engineer whom they believe can play the PM role and that of the engineer okay.