Tag Archives: Lee Lambert

What’s the Difference Between a Project Manager and a Product Manager?

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Two Sides of the Same Coin - Collaborating to Create Value

Two Sides of the Same Coin – Collaborating to Create Value

Several weeks ago Steven and I, along with David Heidt IIBA Chicagoland chapter president, were presenting to the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Chicago chapter. After our presentation our hosts collected the questions that we were not able to address as the clock ran out. The question that was on everyone’s mind was “what is the difference between a project manager and a product manager?”

To understand the difference between the roles we need to look closely at two things. First, we need to understand the phases of the product management lifecycle.* We can then highlight the difference between these two critically important roles. So let’s start with the product management lifecycle.

Imagine for a moment a horizontal plane that has seven phases shoulder to shoulder. The seven phases are Conceive, Plan, Develop, Qualify, Launch, Deliver and Retire. All products universally, and without exception, move through each of these phases sequentially. The only difference is the amount of time it takes to move from one phase to the next.

With an understanding of the product management lifecycle in hand we can then look at the specific roles of project and product managers. Product managers are responsible for optimizing results throughout the entire product management lifecycle. In other words, to optimize the creation and maintenance of VALUE throughout each unique phase of the lifecycle.

This is different than project management where, rather than staying with the product from conception to ultimate retirement, project managers typically are involved from the Plan Phase of the product management lifecycle to the Launch Phase where they roll off and take part in the next project. |

Another way of thinking about this is to say that project managers have a defined span of vertical leadership (working closely with the product manager or owner) for a specific length of time (the project) with a focus on effectively managing the scope, schedule, and cost of the project. While product managers focus on optimizing the VALUE of the effort and lead horizontal activities (e.g. throughout the product management lifecycle).

Both of these roles enhance each other and the effectiveness of the overall product development team and are in fact separate and distinct functional roles with different focuses and objectives. However, the more tightly these two roles can be aligned around VALUE the more success the product development team and ultimately the product and the organization will enjoy. It’s important to point out that while effective collaboration between these two roles drives tremendous organizational benefit these two roles should not be co-mingled as this creates a conflict of interest.

You can learn more about how to effectively drive collaboration between these two roles and improve organizational effectiveness in our popular training course Creating Value Through Collaboration. This course was jointly developed with Lee Lambert of the Lambert Consulting Group and offered regularly by Actuation Consulting and the Association of International Product Marketing and Management. The course offers 16 PDU’s.

* See page two for an illustration of the product management  lifecycle

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Lee Lambert and Gary Heerkens on ProdBOK and Lessons Learned

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An Interview with Lee Lambert and Gary Heerkens

An Interview with Lee Lambert and Gary Heerkens

Part of the ProdBOK® Series

This week we continue our discussion with Lee Lambert, CEO of the Lambert Consulting Group and Gary Heerkens, President of the Management Solutions Group. You can read the first part of our discussion by clicking here.

Why did you choose to support the development of the ProdBOK?

(Lee Lambert) After almost 50 years in the project management profession I read the draft version and the “light” went on — brightly. I suddenly realized how important pre-project and post project delivery planning and involvement in the project management lifecycle was.

It was clear that there are two separate job classes: Project Manager and Product Manager. The jobs are different in content, but MUST be tightly interfaced. I remembered many projects that never really reached their potential value add and now I can see clearly why. This document will eventually become a vital addition to every project manager’s library and will sit proudly on the shelf next to the PMBOK.

(Gary Heerkens) At least three reasons cross my mind, actually:

- Like most people, it’s important to me that the things I work on be worthwhile endeavors; in my view, development of a product management body of knowledge —particularly one that seeks to include project management — is a VERY worthwhile endeavor
- I have a soft spot for the field of product development because I spent a considerable amount of my days at Eastman Kodak managing product development-type projects
- I’m at the stage in my career (and life) when I’m seeking to do things to “give back” to the profession

Any lessons learned from your involvement with the ProdBOK project that you would like to share?

(Gary Heerkens) Collaboration is a key component of a high quality effort. There were a few points during my efforts contributing to the ProdBOK where I submitted what I believed was a flawless piece of project management prose. But after a couple of reviewers examined it and offered their comments, it occurred to me that variety in perspective is a wonderful thing indeed!

(Lee Lambert) One: Project Managers must also sometimes think like a Product Manager. They need to understand how important this interface is to the long-term organizational success of their project. Project Managers need to understand you can’t just “throw it over the fence” and run.

Words of wisdom indeed!

Greg Geracie is the Editor-in-Chief of The Guide to the Product Management and Marketing Body of Knowledge (ProdBOK) and the leader of this initiative. ProdBOK is an industry-wide effort to standardize the practice of product management sponsored by the Association of International Product Management and Marketing (AIPMM).

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A Conversation with Lee Lambert and Gary Heerkens

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A Conversation with Lee Lambert and Gary Heerkens on the Subject of ProdBOK

A Conversation with Lee Lambert and Gary Heerkens on the Subject of ProdBOK

Part of the ProdBOK® Series

Earlier this week I caught up with Gary Heerkens, President of the Management Solutions Group, and Lee Lambert, CEO of the Lambert Consulting Group. I have the privilege to work closely with both Gary and Lee — two of the leading minds within the project management community.

Lee and Gary were willing to share their thoughts on the critical relationship between project and product management as well as their participation in the ProdBOK project. Here’s an extract from our discussion.

Gary and Lee thanks for joining me today. Why do you think there is so much confusion surrounding the product and project manager roles?

(Lee Lambert) I don’t think there has ever been a clear distinction made or at the least communicated between project and product. Although it’s known that only about 30% of a product or service cost is incurred during the “project” portion, many still believe that once we deliver (throw it over the fence) the role of the project manager is complete. And technically that’s correct, but without thinking about the project with a longer range “product” lifecycle mentality it’s almost guaranteed that additional cost and time impacts will present themselves. Unfortunately, the project management profession has not yet fully embraced this holistic view and ultimately the product (organization) eventually pays a steep price.

(Gary Heerkens) Based on my experiences, I think there are a couple of reasons for this:

Those who are not well-versed in these two fields fail to recognize that there are two basic components to project efforts: creating the substantive end result — or “market deliverables”— of the project (product management) and shepherding the various processes required to make those products materialize in an efficient manner (project management). Without a solid understanding of this distinction in function, the tendency is to simply think of these roles as being a single thing.

These two roles are often combined due to an entirely different motivation: perceived efficiency. It’s quite common in resource constrained companies today to merge the “product lead” and the “project manager” into a single function. The belief is that this somehow saves money. Not true; it simply forces today’s managers to work that much harder.

How do you think the new product management and marketing body of knowledge will help to resolve these problems?

(Gary Heerkens) One of the things that compelled me to contribute to the ProdBOK was the fact that one of Greg Geracie’s core objectives was to clearly describe and define the distinction between developing products and leading projects. Greg’s objective represented a simple — yet at the same time, groundbreaking — point of view. And when he first contacted me, I immediately developed considerable respect for Greg because he was seeking the support of a wide range of industry thought leaders to help him fulfill this mission.

(Lee Lambert) This Body of Knowledge will be in sync with the PMBOK and I’m confident it will go a long way toward making the distinction between project and product management clear but at the same time will illustrate the key interface points that will lead to added value when collaboration and “connected” communication among project and product managers is internalized and consistently exercised.

This ends part one of our interview. We’ll wrap up our conversation with Gary and Lee next week as we continue our discussion on the ProdBOK and lessons learned. Stay tuned.

Greg Geracie is the Editor-in-Chief of The Guide to the Product Management and Marketing Body of Knowledge (ProdBOK) and the leader of this initiative. ProdBOK is an industry-wide effort to standardize the practice of product management sponsored by the Association of International Product Management and Marketing (AIPMM).

 

 

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The $26 Million Dollar Epiphany by Lee Lambert

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This weeks blog post is written by our friend Lee R. Lambert. Lee is a PMI Fellow and has established the standard against which educators and practioners in the field of Project Management are measured. In 1981 he was invited to join the team that created the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Program. Learn more about Lee and his impact on the field of project management at the end of his blog post.

By Lee Lambert

The $26 Million Dollar Epiphany by Lee Lambert

Project Management, Product Management it’s all basically the same thing, right?

Well, I’m embarrassed to admit that I have actually considered this to be true for years. I always practiced what I called “womb to tomb” project management, which meant that a project manager had to consider and manage “everything” that needed to be done to assure that the project was a success.

The challenge, it turns out, was I never really understood exactly what “everything” includes. I managed a medical diagnostics project ($26 million) but my primary focus was on Cost, Schedule, and Quality – as a project management professionals should be!

In retrospect, I realize I didn’t give much thought to the myriad of “other” critical activities that would ultimately decide whether my project was truly a complete success. Things like, sponsor awareness, market analysis and marketing, logistics, user interaction and involvement, pricing, life expectancy, government agency approvals, insurance acceptance/coverage, competitive conditions, etc.  After all, these were not the job of the project manager!

Then I met Greg Geracie.

Given my “expertise” in project management, he recruited me to contribute to his effort to publish a Product Management Body of Knowledge Standard document and the rest is history. Through my research and the creation of material to support the collaboration and cooperation of two roles – project management and product management – I had an epiphany: traditional project management, as I had known it for four decades, was clearly NOT the same as Product Management.

Now I recognize why my medical diagnostics project had encountered so many difficult challenges. At that time I was managing the project, but nobody was actually managing the product. Had I comprehended then what I know now the importance of these two distinctly different, but frighteningly similar roles, would have been clear and my time could have been much more productively spent focusing on managing the Project, while someone with a much more holistic view would have been managing the Product and all the nuances associated with its successful completion.

Both roles exist. Both roles have distinct responsibilities and both roles add substantial value enroute to delivering SUCCESSFUL outputs. BUT, it’s my opinion that it’s time to recognize the importance of these two roles and to admit that they exist and that they must establish and maintain carefully orchestrated communication and collaboration processes throughout the distinct but overlapping project and product management life cycles.

The upcoming publication of a Product Management Body of Knowledge will finally enable people to understand these two roles and how they must coexist to assure a steady stream of useful and profitable products continue to find their way to the market.

Lee is a Past President  Central Ohio PMI. Lee authored two books and more than 30 professional articles/whitepapers. He is also PMI SME for the EVMS Practice Guide and the Project Estimating Practice Guide. Educated in Engineering Design at Utah Technical College. He’s a holder of a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. As the creator of the “Stealth Learning” concept, no other educator/speaker can contend with his uncanny technical knowledge, unique material content and refreshingly entertaining delivery. Lee takes the saying; “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt” to the next level as he continues to “make a difference” in his chosen field. 

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15 Minutes of Fame

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STOP The Project Management Survival Plan

15 Minutes – Plus 30 Days!

Andy Warhol once famously stated that “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” My blogging partner, Steven Starke, has just received 15 minutes of fame – plus a month. Let me explain.

Steve is the author of S.T.O.P  The Project Management Survival Plan. His book provides the reader with “proven project management principles complemented with tools, tips, techniques, and stories to ensure your success in project delivery“. Steve’s book turns a practiced eye on the area of product development.

Steve is uniquely qualified to do this since he’s been a Vice President of Project Management and Product Management. He understands the product development process from a series of different vantage points. His ability to be able to bridge product and project management and provide deep insight into leading product development projects has made his book increasingly popular.

So, why am I telling you this?

Well, three highly respected voices in the project management community have recently spoken out about Steve’s book. Neal Whitten, a highly respected project management thought leader, wrote a positive review. Our business partner and friend Lee Lambert, a true force in the project management community, has also supported Steve’s book. And just this week PMI.org featured Steve’s book on the landing page of their website! No small achievement.

While our blog is dedicated to helping product managers, project managers, and product team members increase their success by providing posts that help improve our audiences effectiveness, I could not let these 15 minutes of fame pass without recognizing another of Steve’s significant achievements!

Congratulations partner! These 15 minutes of fame won’t be your last!

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Business Case Ownership: Nothing But the Facts Please

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Part of the Product Management Facts Series

Several months ago I was asked to participate on a cross-functional panel tasked with answering a difficult question. Would you rather hire a project manager or a business analyst?

The underlying assumption was you could only hire one or the other. As panelists we were instructed to pick a role and defend it. The challenge, of course, was that we had to make this decision without the benefit of any background information about the hypothetical company. The question was designed to be highly controversial.

In fact, the question was so controversial that the panelists later banded together to write an article on the subject. The article shot up the ranks into the top five on both the ProjectTimes and BATimes. None of the contributing authors were shocked given the  controversial nature of the topic. I’m attaching a link to the article for those of you who might be interested in reading it.

http://www.actuationconsultingllc.com/product-management-article/AsktheExpert.pdf

As the panel drew to a close an interesting discussion broke out. In fact, I have to admit to being a bit puzzled at the time. A business analyst in the audience asked a question about who should be responsible for creating the business case for new product development efforts?

I was a bit taken aback because, as someone who has been in the product management profession for some time, I had primarily seen product managers creating the business case and owning it. At this point, a vigorous discussion broke out amongst the panelists and the audience regarding business case creation and ownership.

This question has continued to nag at me ever since.

So when the opportunity arose to clarify what was going on I have to admit that I was determined to dig into this topic. My chance to get the facts presented itself in a recent cross-functional study we conducted called The Study of Product Team Performance, 2012. What we found resolved my nagging question once and for all.

The following bar chart summarizes the perspectives of the 607 global respondents that completed the survey.

Actuation Consulting - Product Management Training and Advisory Services

Source: The Study of Product Team Performance, 2012. Copyright Actuation Consulting. All rights reserved.

As you can clearly see, the majority of respondents indicated that product managers “are primarily responsible for writing the business case for product development projects.” However, it’s interesting to note that Business Analysts are the second largest category with approximately 14% of organizations pointing to the business analyst. The next closest column was product owners at 13%.

So it appears that product managers still remain firmly entrenched as the business case creator in the majority of organizations but business analysts appear to be making inroads. In fact, thought leaders in the business analyst space tell me that they’re beginning to develop training courses to help business analysts become more proficient at business case development.

We now have the facts. And it’s quite clear that product managers continue to own the task of writing the business case. I’ll sleep a little easier tonight!

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