Should the project manager be the subject matter expert of the project that he/she is talking about?
Should the project manager be the subject matter expert of the project that he/she is talking about?
The role of a project manager is to align the resources to achieve the project objectives within the determine time schedule and allocations. The essential features of an efficient project manager include the leadership skill, coaching traits, planning skills and knowledge of the process of the project. The last mentioned trait of the knowledge of the process of the project is a controversial point to be addressed in the list of essentials of a project manager, as there is no gauge to measure the required and applicable level of expertise to be considered in the selection of the project manager.
The various opinions behind the technical expertise of the project manager and its impact on the outcome will support the observation to come up with a solution. Even though the core responsibility of the project manager is to ensure the smooth flow of the process of subject matter. Yet, the hand on grip over the process, approaches and consequences are essential to mold and control the pace of the project. Furthermore, in case of emergency situations, the project manager with expertise on subject matter support him to make necessary changes in plans to secure the project objectives, quality spectrum and time schedule.
Hence, the expertise on the subject matter is essential to achieve required results within the pace of the Gantt chart. The expertise of the project manager over the subject matter supplement the project with additional strengths provided with the course of management strategies from technical aspects utilized in the integration of objectives within the allocated time and resources keeping in view the quality standards and risk factors. The associated skills other than subject matter expertise re the personal skills that are individual expertise, communication, strategic leadership and business skills.
