I spent some time exploring the new Career Framework Initiative from PMI. The framework is intended to provide project managers, program managers, and portfolio managers with a career path or progression from one job to another. This is likely most helpful to project managers who are wondering where their careers may go.
I was interested to see how the PMI framework laid out so I went through the website in detail to learn all that I could. The simple career path looks like this:
- Project Manager Level I
- Project Manager Level II
- Project Manager Level III
- Program Manager
- Portfolio Manager
Here is a summary chart of the entire framework, showing the experience levels, education levels, qualifications and competencies by each rung on the ladder. Download pmis_pm_career_framework.pdf
I was delighted to see that the framework does include a number of the soft skills competencies that I am focused on. In the categories of interpersonal and leadership skills, you will find a number that are important soft skills that up to this point have not found a place in the PMBOK® Guide. Here are some of those competencies that I have addressed in this blog and in my soft skills workshops for project managers. These first four fell into the category of ‘interpersonal’ skills:
- Communicates with others
- Establishes and maintains interpersonal relationships
- Possesses good listening skills
- Resolves conflicts and negotiates with others
PMI put the remaining skills into the category of ‘leadership’ skills:
- Celebrates accomplishments
- Delegates work and empowers stakeholders
- Demonstrates high ethics and values
- Displays model behavior
- Displays social awareness
- Embraces diversity
- Encourages partnering
- Engages others
- Inspires others
- Possesses self-awareness
- Provides creative environment
- Recognizes contributions
- Supports team building
I am pleasantly surprised that PMI even used the emotional intelligence words like social awareness and self-awareness.
Though not the point of the career framework, it looks through the development of the framework, PMI is starting to appreciate the importance of the soft skills to progression as a PM. I would like to see these soft skills mapped against the career families (most have not been).
