Recently I've been thinking about where my added value as a technical project manager lies.
As a project manager, getting things done quicker is often the thing that's most on my mind. This is great and as it should be!
However, as someone who likes to get his hands dirty, I'm often tempted to get into the nitty gritty of the work, to try to move things along faster. This almost always actually leads to projects going slower!
Whilst having the technical expertise that I have is a great advantage as a PM, it does not make me a professional developer. By switching my focus away from facilitating the work of others, I'm actually reducing their potential productivity. And one developer at full productivity is going to produce a bunch more quality work than me trying my best!
So, nowadays I like to say that the less I need to get involved in development, the more successful the project is. I know that my added value is in my ability to see the big picture, tying people and ideas together, motivating a team, and keeping a focus on customer needs.
'project management'