Is a Project Manager a boss?

[Shimano105]

So you work as a developer and report to a 'line manager' - effectively your 'boss' (ok, I know - but he signs your timesheet and could ask you to leave).

Every project I work on, there is a PM who seems to think that he is my boss. But he's not is he? He is an equal who is in charge of overseeing a project and nothing more.

Sure, as a resource I can be assigned tasks by him, but he can't talk down to me or insist that I work late - or anything really!

So to all you PMs out there - get of your high fecking horse!

[wurzel]

So you work as a developer and report to a 'line manager' - effectively your 'boss' (ok, I know - but he signs your timesheet and could ask you to leave).

Every project I work on, there is a PM who seems to think that he is my boss. But he's not is he? He is an equal who is in charge of overseeing a project and nothing more.

Sure, as a resource I can be assigned tasks by him, but he can't talk down to me or insist that I work late - or anything really!

So to all you PMs out there - get of your high fliping horse!

When I get a particularly pompous one I like to remind him or her that they are there partly to work for me so that I can do my job - so all those things that need setting up like access permissions etc that have to go through all the right channels, well I make sure my PM shares some of that tedium.

While I'm on the subject (got nothing against PMs per se but have just worked with a couple of awful ones when I was a permie) there are 2 other bugbears.

The first one is when, after a lengthy explanation of something by myself that requires action from my PM they turn round to me and say "could you put what you just told me in an email?". I got to a point where I just used to say no because it shows that they are either lazy and aren't willing to make the effort to understand or just plain stupid. Believe me, in the place I used to work, I supect it was the latter; it was one of those places where people were promoted out of harm's way!

The other thing I can't stand (and it's a very small thing but it bugs the hell out of me) is when a project manager adds the suffix "for me" to anything they request me to do. When this happens, I tend to go for the approach outlined in the 1st paragraph! At least I used to, as a contractor I just tend to take all that tulip on the chin these days. If they piss me off, I just like to discretely let them find out how much more money than them I am earning!

[suityou01]

So you work as a developer and report to a 'line manager' - effectively your 'boss' (ok, I know - but he signs your timesheet and could ask you to leave).

Every project I work on, there is a PM who seems to think that he is my boss. But he's not is he? He is an equal who is in charge of overseeing a project and nothing more.

Sure, as a resource I can be assigned tasks by him, but he can't talk down to me or insist that I work late - or anything really!

So to all you PMs out there - get of your high fliping horse!

Have you thought about joining forces with Numpty?

Recalcitrant-Programmers-R-Us?

[MPwannadecentincome]

after a lengthy explanation of something by myself that requires action from my PM they turn round to me and say "could you put what you just told me in an email?".

Why didn't you send the email in the first place with note to say if further explanation is needed the PM could always ask you - would have been much more productive for both of you methinks.

[wurzel]

Why didn't you send the email in the first place with note to say if further explanation is needed the PM could always ask you - would have been much more productive for both of you methinks.

Yes, it would have been more procutive if I'd just handled it all myself but We were working at the client site & all communication with the client had to be done via a PM.

[Shimano105]

Have you thought about joining forces with Numpty?

Recalcitrant-Programmers-R-Us?

No, why?

[MPwannadecentincome]

Yes, it would have been more procutive if I'd just handled it all myself but We were working at the client site & all communication with the client had to be done via a PM.

No I didn't mean handle it yerself I meant you could have just sent the email to the PM and be done with it.

[thunderlizard]

On a development project I tend to see the PM as similar to the producer on a film. Make sure there's the required backing from the required people, make sure all the prerequisites and resources are in place, and generally let other people do their jobs.
To push the comparison a bit, a lead developer would be like the director: he has to tell the producer what he needs, and has to keep the overall vision in mind while getting the best performances out of the actors/developers.
So while the PM should respect that the developers are "talent" in a way that he isn't, he can & should of course get rid of them if they're threatening the project.

[AtW]

So you work as a developer and report to a 'line manager' - effectively your 'boss' (ok, I know - but he signs your timesheet and could ask you to leave).

Every project I work on, there is a PM who seems to think that he is my boss. But he's not is he? He is an equal who is in charge of overseeing a project and nothing more.

Sure, as a resource I can be assigned tasks by him, but he can't talk down to me or insist that I work late - or anything really!

So to all you PMs out there - get of your high fliping horse!

Shinano... I don't mean to sound harsh.... but wasn't it not you just a couple of years looking for a contract and taking permie job? If so, tell me please - was it better to be on the bench or in contract/permie_job with this funny PM situation?

[Zippy]

I agree with thunderlizard but as developers you also have a responsibility to manage your PM (and don't scare them)