I was recently describing to someone an upcoming project that I’ll be working on.
The project involves evaluating commercial banking options, selecting and then implementing a new treasury management solution for one of my longtime clients. The person to whom I was describing this project asked: “Have you ever done this before?” My response: “Nope!” And, in my head I’m thinking: “And, what does that matter!”
You see, there are a number of factors at play here:
- Building on the prior post, there is a lot (of experience) rattling around in my head.
- The client engaged me to facilitate the process and project manage (PM) the implementation.
- The client is the entity, along with the selected bank, with ALL the subject matter expertise (a.k.a. domain knowledge). They know the scenario: the business, requirements, strengths, weaknesses and risks.
In summary, “all” I need to do is get everyone pointed in the same direction, and marching to the same tune towards completion of this very important / high risk project.
Too often we are afraid to put ourselves out there because we “haven’t done that before” or we are concerned that we “won’t know what to do.”
Set no limits!
Your only limitation is the one you set up in your own mind!
~ Napoleon Hill
A couple of thoughts on this:
- At one point we didn’t know how to feed ourselves, walk, talk, ride a bike, swim, use a computer, etc. But – WE LEARNED! Do not stop now!
- Anytime you are unsure of what to do, simply ask yourself: “What would I do, if I knew what to do?” We ALL can take things a LOT further along than we give ourselves credit.
In our case study example here, the client “merely” needs a highly capable PM to keep them aligned towards the successful execution of this very important project. Hence, the need for a Powerhouse PM.
In summary, a Powerhouse PM is an invaluable asset that can be thrown at ANY project to ensure its success.
Yes, all things being equal, a (Powerhouse) PM with domain knowledge may have an edge over one without that particular domain knowledge. However, I’d suggest that the skills and capabilities demonstrated by the Powerhouse PM are MUCH HARDER to come by than specific domain knowledge. That said, a business leader (corporate executive) can rely on their own team’s domain knowledge to support the project while engaging a Powerhouse PM to get them across the finish line.
In closing – Want to be extremely valuable to society? Consider developing yourself into a Powerhouse PM, a topic covered in a prior series of posts (the index is available by clicking here).
All the best!
Be Brave Not Safe 
🙂