Avoiding Commodization in Project Management

Question: Are project managers becoming commoditized and if so how would I avoid becoming commoditized?

I do not feel project managers (PMs) are becoming commoditized. The guidelines of a PM might be becoming commoditized but a person must remember they can make themselves unique. In my opinion project management certification will become the new MBA standard by which applicants will be judged. Do MBAs, Attorneys, or CPA's feel commoditized? If someone is a project manager, they should be thankful they are ahead of the curve by already having the knowledge that will be needed more in the future.

I have been actively searching for employment with government agencies, and it is clear more and more positions require education in project management. True project management certification has sky rocketed in the past year, and this could cheapen to meaning of certification but the opportunities for someone with project management experience seem to me to have never been greater. I believe the move to project management certification is the next logical step towards the evolution of organizational growth.

Many project managers are out of work these days, but so are many other professionals. In the January 2010 issue of PMI.org's magazine, PMI Network in an article entitled Ahead of the Curve by Harvey Maylor, PhD, the director of the International Centre for Programme Management at Cranfield University in Cranfield, England states: "There is a massive dissatisfaction with the success of delivery in large infrastructure projects. The need for project management has crept up the political and corporate agenda." When I think of all the governments around the world pouring money into infrastructure and all the companies that must conform to their government’s standards means a lot of opportunities for project managers.

To make myself unique from other projects managers, I plan to follow Ferraro' s statement of, there being a trend towards specialization which I consider an opportunity. For me, I want to specialize in leadership, and I want to obtain another degree, possibly a PhD in Organizational Development/Behavior. If I do not get a Doctorates degree, I might obtain a Master in leadership to go with a project management certification, and my MSIS and BA.

Because I want to specialize in being a leader, I believe a person in command of a project should be a leader before being a manager. There are plenty of people who can manage by following an organization's policies and procedures. There are plenty of people who can crunch numbers following set formulas (accountants, analysts, etc.). More and more organizations are becoming project driven, and those projects must be headed by people who are leaders first, and manager second is those projects are to gain acceptance, excel and add value to an organization.