This is part of a series of posts about how to make your ideas actually happen. I’m going to start off with a little story.

Introduction
Figure out the Steps
Bring Order to Chaos
Ask for Help
Conquer Your Fear
Get It Done

How They Had It Wrong

Three years ago I was working in my corporate job at a high-tech company managing an engineering staff of really smart folks who invented and manufactured technical gadgets.

I remember sitting in a rating session. (This is where all of the management staff gets in a room and decides which employees are best, who are good, and who need to show some improvement. These sessions are about as much fun as licking a toilet bowl.)

My boss is talking about some of the top performing employees in our section. He says, referring to one of my smartest team members, “Yes, he’s good, but he just does the technical work. He doesn’t manage any projects.”

To successfully manage a project was one of the hallmark traits of a superstar. My guy saved the company millions of dollars, solved seemingly impossible problems, and invented new stuff left and right, but he didn’t manage projects. This meant he wasn’t good enough.

Though I disagreed with the equation [ project management = superstar ], most managers bought into this equation (engineers keep things simple), and there was no further discussion. My guy, with all of his creative genius, wasn’t at the top. (I did make sure he was pretty damn close, though.)

All I could think was, “This is bullshit.”

What I know is right

What I knew with every ounce of my being is that some people are creative geniuses and some people are organized project managers. Some people have a degree of both. My guy was creative and his problem-solving and invention accomplishments were proof of that. When someone’s that good at those tasks, their project management skills take second seat.

Who cares!

You see, we’re all wired differently.

We don’t all need to be problem solvers and inventors. We don’t all need to be project managers. In fact, if we just had a company or world of project managers, how would any problem-solving or creative idea awesomeness happen? (Duh, it wouldn’t.)

My two cents

If you’re a creative type, embrace that part of you. Create! Generate ideas! Imagine, problem-solve, invent, and do whatever that magical part of you does.

If you despise planning and organization, fine. Learn a few tools to help you along the way and get help when you need to.