Non-Technical Project Manager - Is that good?

I have come across project managers/product managers who have felt that they are bound to "less success" simply because they don't have great technical skills. There is an anxiety of not being able to judge things correctly or not being able to control project the way they would really want it to be.
Well, here is how actually see it completely differently. I do agree that some bit of technical sense is certainly needed but you need not be an expert. 

Why I say so?

Project/Program management is a very different function. The responsibilities are very different from that of a technical manager.
Project managers need to be continuously aware of the project pulse. They are the ones who need to have the most broader view of the overall project so as to connect different dots and identify risks/concerns before they hit negatively. There are so many things to be on top of just in terms of pure project management that trying to get too much into technical details can only hamper the core responsibilities you are suppose to do. 
Keep allies in technical managers. With experience you will be able to judge if some things are not going right. Bring in the experts at that point to validate and resolve things.

How to do it?

  • First of all act with confidence all the time for work you own. With experience learn the art of asking right questions to get the status information you need.
  • Be very clear of who is the product owner and who are your key stakeholders. If needed bring them in as and when required to ensure vision of a project is well engraved into team's mindset.
  • Relationship building is a key skill. Keep allies in technical managers. With experience you will be able to judge if some things are not going right. Bring in the experts at that point to validate and resolve things.
  • Your job is to make things happen so focus on guiding team to the project goals
  • Concentrate on priorities for team. Communicate those timely and always (2) look to remove their bottlenecks.
  • Personally, I think  no one is more responsible than a project manager to keep the project teams morale high all the time. 
Remember, as project managers the executive team is primarily looking from you for following:
  • Clear high level view of project status/health
  • Visibility into what is coming and by when
  • Top risks/issues in a project at a given point of time (and resolution plans)
This is one area that you cannot ignore. Balancing the information needs of management vs guiding team towards project goals are two key main themes of project management. So if you are not distracted by managing technical complexities you are quite better off at your primary role. 
That is how I have succeeded in my career till now as Program manager!
Hope these simple points are helpful and provide assurance that you can be great project managers without being great technical experts!

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