A recent PM World Today article begs the question, is project management a core skill and no longer a niche capability? The writer, Peter Taylor, had recently set up a poll in LinkedIn that asked this question, and 42% of respondents said that it is a core skill while 36% said that it is both a core skill and a niche capability. Only 19% believed that it is a niche capability alone.

What does this mean? Taylor writes,

Project management methodology is a ‘core skill’ that all managers need to be aware of but, the actual project management activity is still a ‘niche capability’ that requires additional training and experience in order to be successful. Managing a small, simple project is no big deal and most people can do it. Managing a large, complex project with substantial risk, diverse stakeholders, a geographically distributed team, multiple constraints and high stakes is best reserved for real experts. The successful business of the 21st century recognizes the value of ‘niche’ project managers working under a supportive executive that has a foundation of project ‘core skills’.