pm-lotus by Howard Vaughan

Posts Tagged ‘PMP’

As each year passes, the number of PMPs grows exponentially. I don’t have the latest stats but here are some data points:

• 1986 – 100 PMPs
• 1998 – 10,000 PMPs
• 2007 – 250,000 PMPs

You get the picture.

Anyway, swept along in all this enthusiasm at seemingly the same rate of knots, is a fast-growing band of HR Managers, (or “Talent Managers” for the politically correct), who have been misled into believing that a PMP certification makes for a better project manager. In fact there is ample evidence that knowledge of the PMBOK does not make for a better PM. I have trained plenty of PMPs who by their own admission did not fully understand how to actually develop a high quality tactically viable schedule.

When organizations and recruitment agencies get locked onto PMP as a primary hiring criteria for candidate project managers, my first reaction is despair. My second reaction is excitement at another opportunity to provide some coaching in practical project management.

Which brings me to my favourite quote:

An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.

(Friedrich Engels)