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Planning Careers...????????

10 replies [Last post]
Tue, 2003-12-09 03:27
Darrell ODea
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Is Planning really a Career or a dead end until something else comes along. Perhaps all jobs are dead-ends until something else comes along. Don’t get me wrong, personally I love the profession, but every day seems less and less of a challenge. People get easier to deal with as you get on its seems. Perhaps this is just age.

Darrell.
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Replies

Mon, 2004-02-16 05:51
#1
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Hi guys,

Interesting discussion, but I just looked back at Darrell’s original post. Ever thought that that the job seems less challenging and people are easier to deal with because you’re getting really good at the job? Don’t confuse what you get out of your work with the contribution you make to the organisation. Sometimes, you get projects where you don’t feel challenged, where potential problems are obvious, people are easy to deal with and things run smoothly. It’s the fact that you are on top of your job that makes this happen and the contribution you’re making is much greater than your personal ’feelgood’ factor.

This could be the time when you do want to make a change, a different organisation, a new position. Fine, go for it if you want to, but apply the care to this choice as you do to your work. Good luck
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Mon, 2004-02-16 03:48
#2
Guy Hindley
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I don’t like the third definition. Planning to me is all about understanding logic and integration issues. The ability to be able to define what the project tasks, etc are. Starting with decomposing the Customer requirements into a wbs, with the help of others. The Planner ensures that this process is structured and generates a coherent wbs. In parallel the obs can be defined. Once these basic building blocks are in place then the production of an activity list and their logic can start to be defined. Associtated with this will be the creation of resource requirements (materials, money and manpower). This can then lead to the production of a time based schedule.

Software tools for me only enable a Planner to do their job. I particularly like the quote "Whilst skills with particular planning tools may impress employers, they represent less than 20% of the important skills of a planner’s job". Software tools help with the drawing of things like a wbs, but certainly not their creation, that needs brain-power, something computers lack.

The need for software specialists is an essential, but more importantly is the need for non toolset specific planning skills. An expert planner should be able to transfer between tools reasonably easily, because they know what they want the tool to perform. In my experience a toolset specialist can have trouble swopping, or at least worries awapping between toolsets, whereas good planners treat it as a challenge, rather than a threat.
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Fri, 2004-02-13 11:57
#3
Ernesto Puyana
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What do you call a "planner":

- A project manager, who devises strategies to lead work execution.
- A project manager’s assistant who develops a working plan based on strategies devised.
- A technician who knows the inner details of a certain software package and documents plans devised by others.

Given the adequate academic background, the third option is a very good starting point, to move into the other two positions as time, apportunity and experience dictate.

Without it, it could be a dead-end.
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Thu, 2004-02-12 10:10
#4
PRAFUL SHELKE
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After more than twelve years of planning and project controls experience in all continents, I do not see the "dead end".
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Mon, 2004-02-09 22:22
#5
Alex Wong
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Well! Since day 1 as a planner I been having fun with the profession. From a software development planner to E&M to Civil to Railway to Utility...
From MS Project to Primavera (DOS) to P3 to P3e to P3e/c enterprise ...

I dont see an end yet
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Sat, 2004-01-03 10:37
#6
Mehdi Rashidi Ala...
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Dear sir,
After 12 year experince, this question is very good for me!
Planning is a important skills for any successful strategies.
We must know that planning is the know-how managers.

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Wed, 2003-12-10 10:38
#7
Guy Hindley
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In my industry Planning is treated in many different ways. These in part depend on what Planners do and in some cases are allowed to do. In some areas of the business Planning is seen as a distinct Profession in its own right and not subsumed into Project Management. In other parts of the business Planners just draw barcharts to reflect what people want to show. I suppose it all depends on where you are based. Obviously Planning is most interesting and challenging where Planning is a distinct career path in its own right.

Planning (in my view) if used properly is an Integration discpline. It is the glue that puts a project together. The vast majority of people sit in their silos, yet the Planner has to "glue" it all together to make one integrated plan. The highest complement I have heard from senior Project managers is that "only 2 people understand how this project works and integrates together, the Chief Engineer and the Chief Planner". it is the integration that appeals to me and keeps me ticking.

Hope these views help. Guy
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Wed, 2003-12-10 09:25
#8
Bernard Ertl
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LOL. OK Darrell. "further" management positions.

Bernard Ertl
InterPlan Systems Inc. - Project Management Software, Project Planning Software
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Wed, 2003-12-10 04:24
#9
Darrell ODea
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Planning is a "Management" position doh.
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Tue, 2003-12-09 11:33
#10
Bernard Ertl
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Define "dead end".

IMO, in the petrochem industry, planning positions usually either lead to management positions or an invitation to join another company. ;-)

Bernard Ertl
InterPlan Systems Inc. - Project Management Software, Project Planning Software
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