Project managers: can we make them or just make them better?

ABSTRACT

As the documented importance of project management grows for all organizations world wide, skilled successful project managers have become a valuable asset to have in an organization. In Information Technology these project managers need a good understanding of technology, an exceptional grasp of basic project management principles, and business leadership skills to be successful. This paper will discuss the organization's need for project managers, the skills a project manager must have to be proficient and whether these skills are innate or can be imbibed overtime. This paper will also discuss, for those skills that can be learned, how best to obtain these skills in a college or university IT curriculum using results from our own experiences. With this information, colleges or universities can begin preparing students for a career as an effective project manager.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.1 Project and People Management
          Subjects: Management techniques (e.g., PERT/CPM)

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.1 Project and People Management
          Subjects: Systems development

General Terms:
Human Factors, Management, Measurement, Performance

Keywords:
leadership, project management, soft skills