Common Misconceptions in Project Management

An insider's view on why you shouldn't pivot to PM. Here's what I see when someone jumps into a project management role too soon. 1/ "𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦." → Participating in projects is great exposure. But it doesn't make you qualified to lead one. 2/ "𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘗𝘔𝘗 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴." → PMP certification is meant to validate knowledge already gained through first-hand experience. Not the other way around. 3/ "𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵." → Nope. The curve for 'project size vs. complexity' is exponential, not linear. 4/ "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘗𝘔𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴." → Repeat after me, "Project managers are not secretaries." 5/ "𝘈𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦." → Rarely do we plan for the unexpected. The unknown unknowns required PMs to be sharp, resourceful, and excellent problem solvers. All others need not apply. ~~~ PS - What assumptions have you heard about project management? . .

5 Project Management truths they won't teach you in certification courses: After 2,000+ projects and 19 years leading global teams, here are the uncomfortable truths they won't teach you in certification courses: 1. Perfect plans fail perfectly: → The best PMs don't plan everything → They build a buffer for the unknown → They expect chaos and design for it 2. Tools don't fix people problems: → No amount of Jira automation saves bad communication → Great PMs spend 80% on people, 20% on tools → Your best tool? A 5-minute conversation 3. Stakeholders lie (unintentionally): → "Everything is a priority" = nothing is → "We need it all" = they haven't thought it through → The real scope emerges somewhere around week 3 4. Documentation isn't the truth: → Teams don't read 20-page specs → Requirements change weekly → The best docs are living conversations 5. Success is political: → Technical excellence isn't enough → Project success = Right people + Right timing → Managing up matters more than managing down The hard truth? Project management was never about managing projects. It's about being the calm in the chaos. The clarity in confusion. The bridge between vision and reality. Because when the plans crumble... When the tools break... When the deadlines loom... It's about the people. It's ALWAYS about the people. What's the hardest PM lesson you've learned?

Project manager ≠ subject matter expert It's a big misconception in our field to believe a PM HAS to be a SME. Here's the thing - These are 2 DISTINCT roles with DIFFERENT responsibilities. A PM's job isn't to be the technical expert on every detail. Our value lies in managing: ✅ Processes ✅ Timelines ✅ Resources ✅ Team dynamics We're her to facilitate, coordinate, and drive progress. We do what we do best, the experts do what they do best. If you're trying to do both, you'll inevitably lose focus on what matters: → Keeping the project on track → Monitoring/mitigating risk & change → Removing roadblocks & driving decisions → Enabling the team to thrive So, if you feel pressure to be a PM AND SME, remember - Your expertise is in the art of PROJECT MANAGEMENT. Allow subject matter experts to shine in theirs.

What they don't tell you about project management can hurt you. Here’s the truth no one talks about…  ➡️ Accountability without Authority You're expected to deliver results but often lack direct control over resources. The weight of responsibility falls on you, even when you can't dictate every step. So, how do you make it work? Influence, negotiation, and building strong relationships become your real tools.  ➡️ Managing Conflicting Priorities You’ll face competing deadlines and demands from multiple stakeholders. It’s not about making everyone happy—it’s about finding the balance that moves the project forward. Learn to say “no” strategically. It’s a skill that will set you apart.  ➡️ Success Isn't Always Clear-Cut Even when you hit every target, the definition of “done” can still be fuzzy.  Measuring success isn’t just about ticking off boxes. It’s about delivering value that aligns with your organization’s goals.  ➡️ The Bottom Line: Project management is more than processes and tools. It’s about navigating the grey areas. If you can master that, you’re already ahead of the game.  Have you faced these challenges in project management? Share your experiences or tips in the comments! Let's connect and navigate these gray areas together. 🔗 Follow for more insights.