Project Management:
How to Differentiate Yourself as a Chemist
in a Tight Job Market
Sarah L. Roberts
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In today's global economy, having the skills
and background needed to "stand out from
the crowd" is becoming increasingly important.
Job stability in an era of downsizing, fierce
competition, and exponential technological growth
is difficult to achieve. Combine market realities
with customers demanding higher quality goods
and services, as well as real-time communications,
and the "bar" for success has moved
to higher levels than ever before.
Janet Bryant, a Senior Research Scientist II
& Project Manager at the Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland,
WA, observes that the use of multi-disciplinary
teams to "do science" is more prevalent
now than when she started as a young scientist
22 years ago. Bryant, who earned an M.B.A. in
addition to her chemistry degree, observes that
as research dollars continue to become scarcer,
the skills and abilities that enable you to show
value for a research program will become more
important. "The nature of chemists in general
is to think in integrated, problem-solving ways,"
says Bryant. "When you combine that natural
inclination with the ability to organize and motivate
the productive capacities of teams, amazing things
can happen. Project management skills differentiate
chemists in the marketplace."
Project managers are now almost required in manufacturing
and pharmaceutical companies. In fact, in smaller
companies, project managers may be responsible
for a large number of products.
So, what is project management? There is no simple
definition for project management as it applies
to chemistry, or science in general, because a
project manager has many roles. At its most basic,
project management is the application of knowledge,
skills, tools and techniques to a broad range
of activities in order to meet the requirements
of the particular project.1 Shannon Davis, a Ph.D.
chemist and Commercial Development Manager for
Solutia Corp.,
describes project management as the "skill
set required to successfully complete (including,
commercialize) a project, program, or series of
programs. It involves keeping track of the myriad
details that go into making a project successful."
In chemistry, the project is often a series of
experiments designed to produce the answer to
a problem. Bryant adds that a project manager
has a basic understanding of the science but does
not necessarily solve the problem herself. A project
manager works with teams of scientists, engineers,
and other workers and orchestrates the work according
to the skills of each team member. A project manager
needs the organizational abilities to manage relationships
with clients and teams, monitor teams, troubleshoot,
deal with risk and uncertainty and fit all the
pieces together to structure a pathway to success.
In science, however, project management tends
to be more ambiguous than in other more traditional
fields where it's been applied for the past 40
years (such as civil engineering and construction),
because there is a larger degree of uncertainty.
As Bryant quips, "You can't manage a 'Eureka'
moment." She notes, "
it is also
important to know when to quit. A good project
manager has the ability to see how failures fit
into the larger picture and help lead to long-term
success."
Peter Bonk is a Ph.D. chemist who has worked
at Chrysler
Corp., Dow Chemical
Co., and Abbott
Laboratories. He notes that project managers
need to learn the resources that are needed, and
keep track of time constraints, deadlines, timelines,
and milestones for each part of the project. Project
management involves interfacing with other parts
of the organization, and ensuring that all pieces
of the puzzle are there from the beginning and
all parts are done in a timely manner. While a
project manager follows through on everyone else's
job to make sure it is done, in most cases no
one reports directly to him or her.
It is important to distinguish between a project
manager and a lab or a line manager. Typically,
a lab manager fits into a more traditional "boss"
role. She has direct, formal accounting for people
who work in the group, and usually has responsibility
for hiring and firing employees from the group.
Davis points out that lab managers are principally
accountable for a large number of people and the
results of their work. They deal with people management,
budgets, employee reviews, and other administrative
tasks. Insofar as a lab manager may coordinate
research and resources within the laboratory,
she acts as small-scale project manager, but has
direct responsibility for the productivity of
the lab, rather than the entirety of the project.
In contrast, most project managers do not have
formal line management responsibilities for the
people on their projects. They are responsible
for the success of a project, and for ensuring
that the necessary resources and details are present.
Bonk notes that, "The project manager does
not necessarily oversee the project staff in a
line manager sense, but is responsible for filling
in the details 100% on the project and working
it to success." Bryant adds that the project
manager builds the team, and is responsible its
work environment and success. Team strength is
part of the success strategy for the project itself.
Few senior project managers continue to perform
active research, although this certainly depends
on the situation. Some project managers whose
job descriptions are more traditional might be
able to continue to perform hands-on science.
Bonk consults on chemistry topics, but does not
have time for hands-on laboratory effort anymore.
He comments, "There is still a science component.
The reward for me is in seeing science applied
with business to yield a product." Davis
uses trend analysis to try to find the next profitable
marketplace. Rather than doing pure science, her
job now involves looking for markets that would
use the core set of skills Solutia possesses.
Bryant is involved in no direct lab work at this
point in her career, and notes that it would be
hard to focus on the intricacies of the science,
and get it funded, manage it, and weather the
political environment all at the same time. This
observation might point to an underlying cause
for few project managers remaining involved in
laboratory research. All three noted, that a good
project manager enables the success of the research
team, with each team member serving their designated
and integrated role.
Skills and Characteristics
A wide variety of skills and characteristics
are necessary for effective project management,
especially as it relates to technical work. Many
of these skills can be acquired through a career
as a chemist, but additional skills are needed.
There is the "science" behind project
management, as well as the "art".
Business is people intensive, so Bonk stresses
the importance of having good people skills, which
he divides into two categories: communication
skills and social skills. The ability to communicate
your ideas effectively facilitates the process
of working with people from all parts of an organization.
Good social skills are necessary because project
managers work with such a wide variety of people.
Davis notes that project managers must be clear
about the goals of a project, what they will try
to do, and why they are doing it. Bryant adds
that both verbal and written communication skills
are important, just as they are for chemists.
It is especially important for project managers
to have the ability to translate science into
a business context. In addition, having an established
professional or technical reputation is fundamental
and adds to your credibility before you attempt
to manage others.
Many other characteristics are helpful in being
a good project manager. Davis says that it is
necessary to be organized, because you often need
to multi-task. You are ultimately responsible
for the outcome, and for ensuring that everyone
on the team is doing her work in the given time
frame. In addition, she notes that someone must
be the devil's advocate, so "be sure that
you are asking the critical questions, and know
when to kill the project if that becomes necessary."
Bryant says that good chemists and good project
managers have a lot in common. Scientists apply
logic to problems to see a forward path. Chemists
also have a great deal of tenacity, and stick
with a project because they want to succeed. The
downside to a focus on logic and tenacity, however,
is that some scientists do not know when to give
up and declare that even in failure, you have
learned what you needed to move on to another
avenue for success. Additionally, Bryant says,
"You have to put your own ego on hold, because
it is all about the success as a team. Individually,
you cannot succeed. However, you must balance
this with a strong self-awareness, confidence,
and the ability to trust your own instincts, because
your team is relying on you to 'pull your weight'."
Making the Transition to Project Management
There are no direct educational requirements
for project managers, but your educational level
and area of expertise will likely affect how you
enter into a project management position. The
professionals interviewed for this article agree
that there is no advantage to any particular branch
of chemistry. Your niche in chemistry determines
the area of your technical work, and aspects of
project management exist in each area. Bryant
observes that the more applied your research is,
the easier transition you may have. Davis adds
that it is more important to ask questions and
design experiments that will help you to find
the answers.
Some difference of opinion exists regarding the
question of what is the best degree to hold for
a project management job.
Bonk maintains that Ph.D. chemists hold many
leadership areas in technical fields. He feels
that there are barriers to what chemists can do
without a Ph.D., although he has seen many B.S.
chemists move into regulatory positions. Davis
points out that engineers with a B.S. degree often
enter industrial careers at a similar level to
Ph.D. chemists, and that both go into project
management positions. Project management is not
then directly degree related, but more an issue
of experience because, she says, "The Ph.D.
process gives an edge in the independent thought
process and maturity factor." Bryant wouldn't
trade her M.B.A. experience for helping establish
the foundation she needs to put her science into
context of world issues and solutions to client
problems.
If the trend for chemists to manage scientific
projects continues to grow, then what is the best
way to improve or highlight your skills to move
into project management? The professionals interviewed
said that it is important to actively work toward
getting the skills that you need to succeed. Bryant
suggests, "Be realistic about your own skills.
Get the necessary skills you need to supplement
through formal education or certification (such
as the Project
Management Professional (PMP) certification
administered by the Project
Management Institute). In her case, PNNL supported
continuing education and leadership training,
so she has been sent to project management classes,
even beyond her M.B.A. She also suggests honing
leadership skills through participation in committees
and through ACS involvement. Davis points out
that many skills learned in graduate school are
applicable to project management on a small scale.
Bonk notes that you pick up aspects of project
management as you move forward in your career.
He says, "It is important to become aware
of the business issues, because making a cost-effective
product is not happenstance."
Your project is always part of a bigger project
reality. Understanding how your project fits into
your company's broader business goals is key to
success. Bryant points out that it is key to have
some understanding of intellectual property rights
and how they apply to your project. Bonk recommends
taking on more responsibility, especially any
management assignment that requires taking responsibility
for the work of others. For example, he became
the chair of the seminar committee for his division
of the company. He also suggests using all opportunities
you can to network. Davis observes that many managers
move up through the ranks of a company, but if
specific expertise is needed, companies may hire
someone from outside.
In summary, a project manager is responsible
for working with a team of individuals potentially
from all facets of an organization in order to
solve a set of problems related to a specific
project. The project manager ensures that the
team has the resources it needs when they need
them, and that tasks are performed in a timely
manner, and within budget. Project managers work
at a variety of companies, and require a wide
range of skills in order to be successful. They
understand the science that is required for the
projects to work, but are also aware of the business
issues necessary for making a successful product,
and getting to the bottom-line for success.
Thanks to Janet Bryant for her feedback on an
earlier draft of this article.
Sarah L. Roberts received a B.S. from the University
of Notre Dame in 1994, and a Ph.D. in analytical
chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder
in 2000. She now lives in the Washington, D.C.
area
1Project Management Institute (PMI®) December
2000
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