essential skills for technical project management · essential skills for technical project...

Engineering Management &

Systems Engineering Programs

Engineering Management,

Technical Management, &

Systems Engineering Programs

Essential Skills for Technical Project Management

2017 Baltimore PMI

Professional Development Event

Toby Gouker, Ph.D., GSLC

Graduate Program Director for

Engineering Management &

Technical Management

UMBC Call to Action

• Mid-Atlantic is a hub for many technology driven industries– Information Technology, Biotechnology, Construction Engineering,

Cybersecurity, etc.

• Highly project-based, long on technical ideas, short on technical leadership.

• UMBC is a dynamic public research university integrating teaching, research and service to benefit the citizens of Maryland.

• Meta-analysis (study of studies) undertaken to discern management/leadership attributes for successful technical project management.

Technical Project Management Challenge

• Technical Project Management is triple constrained

• No degrees of freedom

• Wide variety of skills needed to operate in a system with no degrees of freedom

CostTime

Quality

Scope

Analysis Results: Seven Key Skills for Technical Managers

Key Needs:

• Communication

• Negotiation

• Conflict Resolution

• Power/Influence

• Situational Leadership

• Decision Making

• Change Management

Why of Communication Skills

• You can’t be a leader, unless you have followers

• Followers need to understand:– Direction

– Expectations

– Level of effort

– Length of effort

Why of Negotiation Skills

• Even with the best charter, scope, and planning issues surface– Progressive elaboration

– Competing projects

– Scope creep

Leverage

Wants

Politics

Externalities

BATNA

Why of Conflict Resolution Skills

• Even with the best charter, scope, and planning issues surface– Progressive elaboration

– Competing projects

– Scope creep

Competing / Power

Dominance

Problem Solving / Collaboration

CompromisingWithdrawing /

Avoiding

Accommodating / Smoothing

Over

Why of Power/Influence Skills

• Project Leaders always have all responsibility

• Project Leaders rarely have all authority

• Power must be acquired in order to influence without authority

Why of Situational Leadership Skills

• Leadership is not “one size fits all”– Task dependency

– Employee Maturity

– Employee Skill Level

Why of Decision Making Skills

• Decisions are often complex involving multiple criteria

• Decision criteria are often in conflict with each other

Why of Change Management Skills

• Change can be more than documenting a Δ in:– Scope

– Cost

– Time

• It is often the movement of a team to a different:– Direction

– Paradigm

– Process

Technical Management at UMBC

• Leadership of teams & organizations

• Strategic decision making

• Drive change in an organization / team

Management Focus Areas

Focuses on Developing Leadership and Management Skills

www.umbc.edu/techm

Acquire Important Leadership Skills

• Project management

• Organizational Management

Technical Management Curriculum Overview

Core course

(18 credits)

Breadth electives provide

experience in management,

leadership & policy subjects

(12 credits)

Capstone

Management,

Leadership &

Communication

Engineering Law

and Ethics

Leading Teams

&

Organizations

Project

Management

Strategic

Management

Leading

Virtual &

Global

Teams

Principles

of Org.

Learning

Financial

Mgmt

Entreprene

urship

Decision &

Risk

Analysis

Cyber

Security

Mgmt.

Science

International

Project

Management

Advanced

Project

Management

30 Credit hrs

2 yr average completion

Technical Management Curriculum Overview

Core course

Breadth electives provide

experience in management,

leadership & policy subjects

Project Management

Certificate

Capstone

Management,

Leadership &

Communication

Engineering Law

and Ethics

Leading Teams

&

Organizations

Project

Management

Strategic

Management

Leading

Virtual &

Global

Teams

Principles

of Org.

Learning

Financial

Mgmt

Entreprene

urship

Decision &

Risk

Analysis

Cyber

Security

Mgmt.

Science

International

Project

Management

Advanced

Project

Management

Technical Management Curriculum Overview

Core course

Breadth electives provide

experience in management,

leadership & policy subjects

International Project

Management Certificate

Capstone

Management,

Leadership &

Communication

Engineering Law

and Ethics

Leading Teams

&

Organizations

Project

Management

Strategic

Management

Leading

Virtual &

Global

Teams

Principles

of Org.

Learning

Financial

Mgmt

Entreprene

urship

Decision &

Risk

Analysis

Cyber

Security

Mgmt.

Science

International

Project

Management

Advanced

Project

Management

Classes Scheduled To Meet Needs of Working Professionals

• Professional classes taught in the evening – 4:30pm – 7:00pm

– 7:10pm – 9:40pm

• Many classes are hybrid– Meet in person ~50% of the time

– Other weeks are asynchronous on-line

• Interactive class rooms– Case study discussions

– Class problems

Leadership, Management, and Systems Engineering

MPS

Technical

Management

M.S. Systems

Engineering

M.S

Engineering

Management

Technical Depth

Man

ag

em

en

t D

ep

th

Range of programs allows students to select a focus that meets their career goals

QUESTIONS NOW?

Toby Gouker

tgouker@umbc.edu

AND LATER: