I told you how to change it.
1. Stop searching for a silver bullet.. while you may not.. many do..and the PMP or bust approach fits that pattern.
2. I said about 10% of pmp has good value and roi start with that... do not attempt any more until you see value.
3. If you are getting results be candid enough to conceded that PMP is at best only part of that... as Eisenhower said about plans vs planing.. any focus on process improvements will have value simply because of the mindset it represents.
But know also that many would prefer to sell a new process improvement plan of the month.. and that they succeed also tells you to be on your guard. .. is it PMP or is it the fact that we care enough to do PMP.
4. As PMP matures into the must have check box... there will be 2 effects...the self selection dynamic will abate...providing the first real evidence of something beyond the placebo effect
..And. folks will bork it up totally since they do not understand that its not a silver bullet..in response industry will discount these experiences and talk about how PMP does not fail.. the users just don't do it right..
5. Brooks called it in no Silver Bullet.. but senior decision makers are well on the way to destroying what value PMP can in fact provide.. the only way to prevent this is to not drink the cool said and call the fad out.
6. It is because I have seen and analised these failures that I not only think things can change but also how..
You must fight the hype.. the hype will kill the good with the bad..
More critical commentary and less boosterism is a good start..
Last month I took the PMStudy course online. My employer paid for it. 3 weeks later passed the test.
Congrats!!!!
To have such high regard for PM's and their certs, you have to be a programmer/developer?!?!
There are good PMs that don't have a cert and there are bad PMs that do... Plus, you're right, there is no silver bullet. Having a good cert, from a reputable org, shows you understand the concept and can apply it. It's not a given that you'll succeed, but I will increase your chances. There is no hype here. It's a proven methodology that works. As a developer you understand "patterns" and "anti-patterns". PMI has gone to great length to work those into their methodology. Agile has done that as well. Yes, they are nothing more than best-practices bundled up into a prescribed approach, but again, they work.
Question for you: Would you go see a medical generalist for a brain tumor or would you go see an Oncologist who has been vetted by a sanctioning organization?
My wife got her PMP from PMI...It does mean a LOT in her industry.
I have a PMP. My company paid for it. It's mostly a scam/worthless, but if you work government contracts, it's valuable to have (particularly in higher level positions) to check the right boxes on your resume. ETA: yes, do it if it's paid for.
Outside of technical certs, the PMP is probably one of the most important certs an IT professional can have. In the past, if you had one, people were like: "You have a PMP!?!?". Now, it's the norm and the response is: "You don't have a PMP?"
PMI has done a good job at keeping their credential relevant and hasnt turned it into a McDojo. The test is one of the hardest tests I've ever taken. In adition, the recert process requires effort. Having said that, there are a lot of people that think project management is a useless skill and you cant do anything to change their minds. But, they are also the ones who want nothing to do with running a project. Management tends to love that cert and that's all that matters becuase they see the value in having a vetted process for running a project. No, it doesn't ensure success, but it definitely increases the chances.
Right now, the hot topic is "Agile". There's a cert for that too and the combination of both is quite the beacon for recruiters. I have both and, along with the experience, it's quite marketable.
I have been a PM on three different contracts, spanning the last 26 years. Was pretty good at it. A few years ago, the PMP certification started gaining momentum for the contractors, and has now morphed into a requirement for becoming a PM on a Government contract. With that said, I can truthfully say that for ME, getting the PMP did nothing to enhance my knowledge base. The course taught us to memorize what we needed to know, especially in some formulas used to measure contract metrics, to pass the test. It did NOT make me a better PM. BUT. You need the PMP now, and that's all that really matters. So...just do it.
GROUPON is offering this online course for $100
http://www.learnsmartsystems.com/Catalogs/projectmanagement/
Agreed, good points.
Some places won't even accept an application without certain certifications. Maybe they are trying to compensate for less reliable educational credentials.
Government loves making certain certs mandatory. "What do you mean your project manager wasn't a PMP?"
I know PhD's that put PMP after their name, seems strange to me.
I think they are making tests harder, to make the most popular certs seem more exclusive.
It's a racket in the sense that you have to join their organization (annual dues usually), and maintain continuing education credits, which they usually charge for. They can make it harder or more expensive at any time.
Agile (certified scrum master) seems to be the only real competitor to PMP.
And none of the them at my job know what they are doing.Almost a million PMP's on the planet says wiki: