Is project management really that hard?

I was recently asked that question by a family member that was trying to understand what I do as a PMO manager. Seems like a loaded question, right? It can't be that hard can it? As with many things in life the answer is "It depends!". I have seen PMs that make managing complex projects with multiple dependencies look like child's play. They are the exception though. Project management is essentially about communication and planning. Seems easy enough, right? Well, try pleasing 10 different project stakeholders that are all type A personalities. That takes a special person that knows how to navigate the mine fields between project initiation and project closure. Often a project manager does not own the resources that are working on their project. In other words, you have the ultimate responsibility for the project success, but you do not manage the resources. This matrix organizational structure is very common in many organizations. Getting the most out of employees that do not report to you can be challenging. So, that was my long answer....my short answer is Yes!

I recently found the following jokes about project management on projectmanagementideas.com.

They wouldn't be funny if there wasn't some truth to them :)

- There are no good project managers - only lucky ones.

- It takes one woman nine months to have a baby. It cannot be done in one month by impregnating nine women.

- The sooner you get behind schedule, the more time you have to make it up

- Everyone asks for a strong project manger - when they get one, they don’t want one.

- Good project management is not so much knowing what to do and when, as knowing what excuses to give and when.

- Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn’t have to do it.