The 10 Key Capabilities Next-Generation Project Managers. I found this interesting article by Meridith Levinson today on CIO.com. (Thanks to @rseres for tweeting it! By h.koppdelaney via Flickr Although I appreciate the emphasis on Agile and Lean concepts for software development becoming more common (and it’s true), I feel Meridith is making a big straw-man argument in this piece. It could be from Mary Gerush’s study; I don’t know if I paid the $499 price to read the study. I don’t disagree with the capabilities they found important for project managers. Not at all.? They are great qualities for project managers. I agree with the idea that deterministic frameworks within matrix organizations can be used in “command and control”. This doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them are, nor should they be. Agile and lean are my favorite. Lean requires facilitation, not an authoritarian “do whatever I tell you” approach. It is interesting to see how broad-based comparisons are made, and the implications that these have on “old school” project managers. Meridith’s statement, which I believe is not Gerush’s, states that next-generation project managers should focus on improving collaboration and eliminating distractions to ensure project team members can complete their work on time and within budget. It makes it seem like policy compliance control was our only role before we became project managers. I can assure you that project managers who are good at managing people have always been focused on “improving collaboration and removing distractions”. This is not a new concept. Another one: “Next generation project mangers see their primary role is delivering value to company?not just completing projects within budget and time.” If “old school” project managers don’t see their primary function as delivering business value, it is a sign that something is wrong. This has been the goal of all projects since I can remember. These projects are not possible without your support. Meridith gives me this mental picture: