I'm still not sure exactly what Project Managers do. I've seen countless job postings and even stories from people claiming to have been one. Yet, more often than not they get shit on, and memes often have a kernel of truth. #ConfusedHumanPerson

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Good ones are pretty rare and good program managers are even rarer.

What they should do, and what most actually do, are different things.

Project managers must be great with humans and communication. If they are not, then they just can't be effective.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Oooh. Okay yeah, that explains it. Communication is the number one thing that most people struggle with. I'm constantly pestering my bosses about communicating even slightly important information that could affect me a rung down. Then even when it is reported it isn't effective or concise, or if it is concise it's unclear.

Okay. I'm beginning to get a grasp on it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

They are supposed to be the glue that binds the internal team together as well as bonding to external groups.

The project manager organises external requirements and steers the project in the direction needed for the business. That direction might change depending on the status of other projects, it's their job to be on top of that.

They also report progress and roadblocks upstream so that those who manage groups of related projects can work on keeping everything running.

Whether they're actually competent, well that's something else entirely.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago

Exactly this. You don't realize how useful they are until you've had a good one. The amount of BS from other teams they can shield you from can make focusing on your own job so much easier.

Unfortunately the ratio of good to bad PMs leaves a lot to be desired.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Many roles main responsibility is to report upwards what happens in"the basement". Which includes translating what one person says into that the other can understand. Then there's roles that do it both ways.

If there's time to spare, a good project manager can also bring health and common sense to the team they're part of. That takes pointing out non sense both inside and outside the team, and the hardest part - being constructive about it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

So essentially taking complex ideas or situations and breaking them down a'la eli5 style to the suits and other personnel that may not otherwise understand. At the same time in other situations or roles, taking expectations and directives from higher up and breaking them down so they're digestible and workable.

Man, these job descriptions really makes it sound like you're going to be doing incredibly complicated and potentially invasive team-to-team tasks. When in reality you're trying to get a bunch of cats to work together without slapping one another.

[–] JackbyDev 4 points 7 months ago

Yet when I have a good one versus a bad one I can definitely tell the difference.