Chapter IV. The Project Manager—Technical Skills^[*]

^[*] Much more can be said about technical management; however, it is not the primary focus of this book.

“Oh my, what have I gotten myself into now?” asked Sam. “I've never built a raft before. I have no experience in building such a large vehicle. All I've ever done is hunt, fish, pick berries, cook, and shape rocks. What do I do now?”

Sam recalled that an earlier encounter had revealed the theory that “you become a project manager one zero at a time.” If that is true, there must be certain things that need to be learned first. What could they be? One guru provided a Skills Inventory that included technical, leadership, and administrative skills of the project manager. Sam's first concern was with the technical part of the job. The first stop was the Temple of Technical Expertise on the ivycovered mountain.

Projects are ubiquitous. Projects must be managed. Ergo, project managers are ubiquitous.