ClearPM

Project Management isn't about knowing every possible tool, documentation package, and methodology and then using them on every project...though more knowledge is generally a good thing.  It isn't even about having the job title "project manager."  PM nirvana (or something close to it) is knowing exactly the right kind of tool, package, or methodology -- the right structure -- to apply on a given project. 

I posted on this previously in Flexibility in Project Management.  Today I read a post by Brad Egeland titled Do We Need Structure? on PMtips.net.  He made some great points about what, if any, structure is needed for project management.  The answer, of course, is "it depends."

Large corporations have a need to implement rigorous PM processes that the business users (internal customers) tend to believe are overkill.  "You're slowing us down!  You're not adding value!"  What they often don't realize is the complexity of the organization and its infrastructure requires a certain amount of PM process and documentation -- even for smaller projects -- that are essential to maintaining that infrastructure.  Global networks connecting thousands of locations being hacked thousands of times a day, in addition to the tens of thousands of legitimate users just doing their jobs, tend to take on a life of their own.  It's critical to know what changes are being made, why, when, and by whom.  A seemingly simple change can have business impacts around the world.

Smaller, less complex, organizations might not need the same rigor but still need some form of project management structure to make sure the right things get done at the right time in the right way.  Things such as

• scheduling which activity needs to happen before something else (schedule management)
• the cost tradeoffs between two or more options (budget management)
• the ramifications of the loss of a particular resource (risk management)
• knowing who needs to be told when particular actions are scheduled, when they occurred, and whether or not they were successfull (stakeholder and communications management)

all need to happen even in a startup.

So to answer Brad's question, yes, we need structure.  (But no, it doesn't have to be led by someone with the job title "project manager.")  The need to have someone organize work into logical steps and then oversee/manage that work to a successful conclusion is universal across projects and organizations of any size.  Project management is always applicable.