Three Core Processes of Project Management

    In a recent response, Lalit suggested the notion of "resource management," somehow demeans the human aspects of project management. That possibly PM should go to a Human behavior class before the PMP study class. While the "human element" is a critically important aspect of project management, it is one of three core areas
    The authors of Reinventing Project Management: The Diamond Approach to Successful Growth and Innovation, Aaron Shenhar and Dov Dvir describes three "Views" of project management:

1. Operational / Process - What work must be done to deliver the business value from the project? What is the sequence for this work? What risks will cause the project to be in jeopardy and what actions are needed to mitigate or retire these risks?
2. Team / Leadership - what organizational elements are needed to deliver this value? What skills and experiences must be provided by these organizational elements? What leadership and management processes must be in place to successfully apply these skills and experience?
3. Strategic / Business - how is this project connected to the business strategy? Can these connections be defined in some unit of measure meaningful to the stakeholders?

    In these "views" Human Resources are one of many aspects of managing projects. To focus on any one of the aspects to the exclusion of others would be poor project management. This is the challenge for project managers, project management methods, and the training and mentoring of project managers.

How to engage on all three views at the same time with equal skill, experience and appropriate beneficial outcomes

    Without the ability to engage in all three views, the project is in jeopardy missing the goal - deliver value to the CUSTOMER. If along the way the project participants are "self actualized" in some way, that's good them and possibly good for the project. But the inverse is not acceptable.

The participants are self actualized and the project fails.

    There is no evidence I can find that self actualized project participants that do not EQUALLY engage in the two other "Views," deliver successful projects. Since I hold a somewhat  narrow point of view about the processes of project management - Number 1 and Number 3 are my primary focus. I understand Number 2 is equally important. But it's not a focus for me. I've leave that to those better equipped to deal with the "soft" side of Project Management.

    It's not a failing so much, as a recognition of strength. This leads me to the defense and space domain, where Number 2 is 3rd on the list, with Number 1 being 1st and Number 3 having been defined by the Department of Defense, NASA, or other government agencies.

    The real rub comes though, when some thought leaders fail to acknowledge one or more of the three Views are not present or are somehow "wrong" in their world view. That's usually when the conversation arond Project Management goes in the ditch.