An Editorial Observation by Paul Giammalvo
I recently spent an enjoyable weekend in Singapore, during which time I got to spend time exploring many of the large bookstores that have opened in the past several years. I was perusing my favorite section on “Project Management” and I saw a new addition “Preparing for the PMP Certification For Morons”. (A fictitious name) In looking over the book, it seemed to be complete and well written. It appeared accurate in portraying the various formulae and other knowledge one would have to know in order to pass the PMP® Exam. I was sufficiently impressed that I purchased a copy to add to my ever growing library.
On return to my hotel, I sat down to spend more time with the book. It was during that quiet time when it dawned on me. I am a private pilot and I have never seen a book “Getting Your Pilots License for Morons”. And the more I got to thinking, I have never seen a book “Passing the Bar Examination for Idiots” nor “Brain Surgery for Dummies”. So what makes Project Management so much less professional than those other occupations to warrant the publishing of a book with a title that demeans those who practice it?
With the ever growing popularity of professional certification, I wonder if we are not missing a major point. In everyone’s desire to turn these credentials into a way to earn a living, are we diminishing the value of the credential by expending so much effort on passing the exam rather than on helping people actually understand the competencies that need to be mastered? How can we continue to uphold the value of any credential if the study materials being prepared to help people earn that credential fails to communicate a sense of dignity and professionalism. What damage do books like this do to the market value of the credential they purport to help you prepare for?
One of the primary responsibilities of any professional organization is to protect the image and market value of any credential issued by them. Although I am a firm believer in the rights guaranteed to all Americans under the First Amendment, somehow, I just can’t imagine the Bar Association, AMA or AOPA sitting idly by while books are being published that don’t meet some minimum standard appropriate to the “professional image” of practitioners.
After thinking about it, I returned the book to the bookstore and asked for my money back.