Conductor of an Orchestra, Essay Example

Being a conductor of an orchestra is an appropriate metaphor for being a project manager because there are many components of an orchestra that must be corrected guided and taught how to work together to perform a beautiful and well-organized symphony. A project manager is similarly responsible for staying on top of several different groups in charge of different tasks to ensure they will come together to complete a successful project. Despite this, there are several aspects of project management that are not related to this metaphor.

While a conductor of an orchestra guides his musicians, he is not responsible for composing the music that is played. Rather, he is able to provide an interpretation of this music to his musicians in a manner that personalizes a piece that has already been written. While a project manager is also able to interpret the goals and steps necessary to achieve the project in his or her own way, the project manager is also able to contribute to the development of the project itself.

While a project manager as a conductor of an orchestra isn’t entirely appropriate, they are easily comparable to teachers who are responsible for writing the lesson plans for their classes. Teachers are responsible from writing lesson plans from scratch, although they are provided general framework from their supervisors. Next, they are responsible for carrying out these lesson plans in the classroom and are required to educate a diverse group of students. This is similar to project management because project managers provide input into the development of the project. Furthermore, they interpret the project instructions and ensure that a diverse group of individuals are able to carry about their assignments appropriately.