The questions in the image is for people working in project management, their managers, and executives.
We tried to put the question as simply as possible to draw an analogy to project management certifications.
When any of us go to a restaurant, we are either given a menu automatically, or we ask for one. Why? Because we want to see the options and decide on the best one to satisfy our needs, mood, or hunger at that moment. It is likely that the vast majority of people will not go to a restaurant with one item on the menu. Yes, some restaurants has specialties that might be more popular than others – but I do not recall ever seeing a restaurant with one item. For that matter a university offering one degree only, or one professor.
However, if we switch the question to the world of project management certification, we do accept the concept of 1-item restaurant.
Many do not realize that the Global PM Restaurant has a great menu with more than 50 different options (in term of certifications). There are foundation certificates and advanced certificates. There are general certificates and certificates for an array of specialty topics.
Yet, a large percent of visitors to this global restaurant, do not see the menu or ask for it. Their PM waiter (Dilbert Cartoon) just tell them there is one item everyone ask for. This item is the most popular. He might also say “it is the best”, “there is nothing like it” and so on. Consequently, a large percent of people “Trust the waiter” and do not look for anything else. They accept the opinion of a waiter – who does not know them, does not know their ability, desire, ambitions, goals and so on.
How can we trust the waiter without asking questions. A couple of days ago, my 15-year old son was mentoring his 12-year old brother that he should question everything. He was telling him to be curious and ask questions and not accept what may seem like a fact until he question it. A 15-year old understands that so why not professionals that are 25, 30, or even 45-year old – with years of professional experience question this?
Organizations like PMI claims that the PMP result in 15 or more percent increase in salary, yet we are not aware of any organization that has a different pay scale for PMP or give bonuses or salary increment for those achieving the PMP. Even in a recent discussion on a PMI owned site all respondents to the question on salary said they never received any bonus or salary adjustment as a result of the PMP, upon achieving it or later. Yet, we do not question that survey.
Promoters of PMP claim it is the best in the project management world? How, on what basis? Do we question that?
Promoters also claim that achieving the PMP is a demonstration of competent project managers and proof of a successful PMP. How? The PMP does not even require the person to be a project manager nor does it ask for proof of success on projects.
The focus on the PMP here is because it is 1-item on the menu for many people. They do not even know there are other certifications that are equally good or even better. IPMA has a certification program that quite good. AACE, SAVE, and others have good certifications as well. GPM Global offers a few certifications as well. Even PMI now has a few other certifications – yet, we continue to trust the waiter.
We hope you enjoyed your mean and gave you the satisfaction you need.