Let’s go back to 2010.
Nokia was still the global leader in mobile phones. But as Apple and Android devices were racing ahead with smartphones, Nokia was stuck in internal confusion. Despite having cutting-edge R&D and the resources to compete, product launches were constantly delayed, priorities kept shifting, and teams were often working in silos.
In fact, multiple insiders and former executives later admitted that poor project management and lack of alignment were among the key reasons Nokia failed to ship competitive smartphones on time.
According to a Harvard Business Review article, “Nokia’s problem was never just about technology. It was about execution. And that’s where the cracks showed.”
It wasn’t just one bad decision. It was a series of missed deadlines, scope creep, unclear accountability, and internal misalignment – all classic signs of broken project management fundamentals.
That’s how a company that once held over 40% of the global mobile market lost its lead, eventually being acquired by Microsoft in a desperate turnaround attempt.
That’s the power of Project Management. Or in Nokia’s case, the cost of not doing it right.
In this blog, we’ll break down what project management actually means, why it matters more than ever today, and how you can build a career in it.
Project Management refers to the systematic approach to planning, implementing, and handing over of a certain objective within an outlined schedule and budget.
Consider it to be the GPS of any business project. If you don’t do it, you are most likely making detours, wasting fuel or even worse, becoming completely lost.
Whether you’re building an app, organizing a music fest, or developing new machinery, project management ensures:
And it’s not just about managing people. It’s about aligning tasks, tracking progress, and driving outcomes – every single day.
If you’ve ever said, “We’ll figure it out as we go,” here’s what project management brings to the table instead:
Whether you’re using integrated project management tools or keeping things lean, these benefits stay the same – it just depends on your setup.
Project management isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different industries and teams need different approaches. Here are some common types:
Choosing the right project methodology depends on your team’s size, industry, and pace.
No matter which style you follow, the basic steps of project management don’t change much:
Following this project management process helps avoid nasty surprises halfway through a project.
Here’s what makes up the foundation of any project management practice:
These are not optional. These components of project management define how reliable your project execution is.
In order to have a real feel of the project management fundamentals, you must have an idea of the thinking behind it:
If you’re new to the field, start by exploring the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) or a basic project management cert. They teach you tools, terminology, and workflows that set a strong foundation.
So, how do you actually become a project manager people trust?
You can be a director of product operations or just want to be a better leader: project management skills will never lose their relevance, will never be in short supply.
It is not all about Gantt charts and the fancy certification grades in project management. It is about sanity in the stress, order in the crisis and making teams deliver what they promised they would – on time and on budget and without having a nervous breakdown.
And in case you are the kind of person who thrives on making things happen, then this could well be your zone of genius.
A project manager is the person who is responsible for planning, executing and delivering a project on time, on budget and as per goals.
Not necessarily, but certifications such as CAPM may enhance your credibility and allow you to get access to better job opportunities.
Agile is centred on adaptability and incremental development, whereas traditional (such as Waterfall) is linear and fixed.
It differs, but on average, a certified project manager earns between 8 to 20 lakhs per annum, depending on experience and the industry.
It is a methodology that integrates project management into the entire business system with improved visibility and coordination among the teams.
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