| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Seniority/Competencies | Communication | Time Management | Organization | Planning | Problem-solving | Risk-Management | Business Analysis | Leadership | |
2 | Trainee - Also known as apprentice or intern - The first level of seniority in the department. Usually, these would be students having an internship with a particular college. - No prior experience is required besides some basic theoretical knowledge and a strong willingness to learn | - Can follow detailed instructions - Accepts both positive and negative constructive feedback - Asks for assistance when challenged or blocked - Asks questions about any tasks and ask for their purpose - Writes emails and holds meetings with the team with detailed supervision - Can give project updates to the client and communicate certain issues with mentorship | - Can finish tasks with detailed instructions and mentorship in the estimated timeframe - Always arrives on time - Can prioritize daily activities to finish the tasks with the most value | - Can learn about Agile principles through the internship - Can set up projects (from user stories to meetings) with detailed supervision - Can successfully organize his daily tasks and priorities based on given instructions - Understands basic SCRUM and/or Kanban principles by the end of the internship | - Only plans his daily activities based on given assignments - Learns about estimations, release planning, roadmaps, backlog prioritization etc. through mentorship | - Basic problem-solving skills are expected even though most tasks will come with detailed instructions - Deduction from given instructions and adapting them to the task at hand is expected | - Only through mentorship and understanding why and how certain processes are used | - None expected | - None expected | |
3 | Trainee Roadmap | STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | |||||
4 | No actual ownership of assignments, receives detailed tasks and instruction from a mentor for all activities. The initiative is not expected or required, one should at first meticulously follow directions to improve skills and knowledge No responsibility for the final success of the projetc. | Still, very little ownership, while receiving detailed instructions for most activities. Little initiative is expected as a trainee starts to absorb some knowledge by completing assignments. Solves tasks as directed even if the directions sometimes feel too pedantic No responsibility for the final success of the projetc. | Some ownership is now expected while receiving detailed instructions on some activities. Begins to take initiative by learning and asking meaningful questions to improve. Starts to understand why some processes are prescribed No responsibility for the final success of the projetc. | Increasing ownership, can work independently on many tasks that were solved through previous steps. Shows initiative by asking specific questions related to project assignments Asks about the purpose of certain tasks and processes and understands why they are done Doesn't only wait for help if he gets stuck, but actively tries to come up with a solution | ||||||
5 | Junior - Has a basic understanding of all the skills necessary to successfully perform the PM role - Expected to handle basic, well-defined PM tasks on his own, and tackle challenging ones with mentor support - Willing to learn outside of mentorship - Shows initiative - Can notice issues on the project even without knowing how to properly define them which allows the Junior to ask for assistance | - Can communicate tasks and assignments to the team - Can hold all Agile ceremony meetings as a PM - Can formulate targeted questions for his mentor to improve knowledge - Can write reports and communicate project obstacles with the client - Can explain encountered issues without using proper terminology | - Develops the ability to estimate his own tasks - Can plan, with guidance, the next feature release - With increasing experience starts to be better at estimating team member tasks and can plan milestones - Can contain meetings in set timeframes - Starts noticing underutilization of resources on his projects - Has processes in place that warn him if he's about to break the estimated working hours total | - Is familiar with Locastic's Kanban ceremonies and can successfully hold them - Can distribute and assign daily tasks to other team members - Manages to successfully follow the Recurring tasks list most of the time - Can manage a couple of small projects, or one large project with supervision - Starts to see issues with set management frameworks in an agency setting and looks for solutions | - Knows how to set up Locastics estimate sheet and get an estimation from the team (under supervision) - Can create a roadmap in Jira using Epics to plan a few feature releases in advance - Can schedule teams activity for the following few weeks | - Can notice issues outside of given instructions and guidelines, and looks for custom solutions for projects - Notices if the team is lacking certain domain knowledge and asks for outside assistance - Gains understanding of clients' business processes and can suggest solutions | - Following the Recurring task list, tries to minimize possible risks - Uses theory and gained knowledge to come up with ways to reduce detected risks - Can detect possible risks with the help of a mentor (and the project team) - Learns to handle difficult situations in a professional and calm manner | - Starts attending Discovery workshops, Evenstormings, User interviews etc. - Starts gaining domain knowledge - Learns how to read business analytics | - Starts to gain trust from his team and mentors - Learns how to be a servant leader and protect the team | |
6 | Junior Roadmap | STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | |||||
7 | Works on individual tasks mostly independently, and receives instructions when necessary Begins to question processes to improve them and learn. No responsibility for the final success of the projetc. | Works completely independently on assigned tasks. Can complete tasks according to defined goals. Begins to suggest improvements and tweaks in processes as issues arise. Starts to form a more complete understanding of work processes. No responsibility for the final success of the projetc. | Slowly starts to master the ability to break down projects into tasks without supervision. Has the ability to estimate how long a task will take (most likely). Starts to show ownership of whole (small) projects while still having strong mentorship. Starts to implement minor changes and improvements that improve his own processes. Low responsibility for the final success of the projetc. | Owns the projects he manages with less and less guidance. Actively looks for improvements in processes and reviews his suggestions with a mentor. Finds tasks and responsibilities outside of precisely defined assignments. Increasing responsibility for the final success of the projects | ||||||
8 | Mid - Works independently with regular reporting and checkups with the PM department - Has a deeper understanding of his role and responsibilities - Manages projects independently without direct supervision - Notices when a change is required and can implement it confidently - Can assist other Junior team members - Effectively manages priorities and his own time | - Confidently holds both internal and external meetings - Starts speaking at conferences and writing blogs (sharing knowledge) - Can write documentation and specifications in an easy-to-understand yet technical manner - Can handle problematic situations (like going over budget) without conflict with the client - Starts to "read the room" and motivate others to communicate (both the client and other team members - Is precise when explaining tasks or issues, and knows what to leave out as unnecessary info | - Can estimate feature releases with confidence and knows how to utilize buffers - Knows how to recognize and warn the team, the client, and the department of possible deadline issues long before they happen - Creates detailed project roadmaps and manages to follow them - Creates reports and checkpoints regularly for the client - Recognizes underutilization and informs other PMs of available resources - Can successfully handle multiple projects without losing management quality | - Can successfully manage multiple projects (both small and large) - Is always one step ahead of the team with project preparations (meetings, documentation, client questions, etc.) - Adapts management processes for each project according to its needs - Feels confident in project estimates and the teams' ability to deliver - Tasks from the Recurring tasks list are handled across all projects - Can adjust to different agile management frameworks - Can confidently lead remote, on-site and hybrid teams | - Based on backlog priorities, can plan features and has an overview of resource utilization in the long term - Uses releases and a predefined versioning system for planning release cycles - Suggests changes in priorities to the clients to optimize the usage of the budget - Prepares for the next release in time to avoid periods without tasks - Thinks about and can arrange working hours for code refactoring, maintenance, and upgrades - Is confident in using the estimate sheet and notices estimation biases from different team members | - Is familiar with Eventstorming, User story mapping, Prioritization techniques based on value and complexity etc. - Can quickly learn new business domains - Adds meaningful acceptance criteria to user stories - Can create user flow diagrams to breakdown business processes into logical steps - Can handle most edge cases or situations that happen across projects - Has some hands-on experience with programming to gain a better understanding of the software development process (not required) - Can prioritize problem-solving by technical difficulty, required time, and benefits | - Gains experience with using Risk management techniques - Starts to notice patterns between projects and thinks in more general solutions to avoid future risks - Understands that not all risks can be anticipated or prevented - Analyzes possible risks with the team and informs the client in advance - Makes sure that all high risks are documented and the client alerted on time | - Mediates BA meetings - Sets KPIs along with POs to measure the success of a project - Creates specifications and diagrams along with the PO and UX department - Gains experience in multiple domains - Can translate business requirements into technical ones and vice versa | - Has complete trust of the team, and full project ownership - Sets an example with punctuality, organization, and professionalism for other team members - Leads multiple teams - Acknowledges and celebrates the successes of his teams | |
9 | Mid Roadmap | STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | |||||
10 | Shows ownership of smaller projects and successfully co-owns larger projects with a mentor. Makes good decisions within their scope of work independently. Doesn't need mentorship for creating tasks and breaking down team assignments into manageable chunks. Starts to understand the "big picture" - how other departments work, their internal processes etc. Has responsibility for the final success of smaller projects. | Full ownership of all projects with guidance. The team is fully confident in the Mids' abilities and less experienced team members are starting to ask him for advice. Starts to get actively involved in strategic meetings where internal processes are being discussed Starts to improve processes on projects with success without prior consultations Starts to improve KPIs and achieves beyond what was the basic expectation Has responsibility for the final success of smaller projects. | Full ownership of all projects with occasional guidance. Starts to identify gaps and opportunities in existing PM processes and works on new solutions Documents improvements and shares with the rest of the department Knows how to handle stressful situations and doesn't overreact Has a successful track record of PMing projects Has responsibility for the final success of smaller projects. | Fully owns all assigned projects without extra guidance or mentorship Continuously works on improving processes in the smallest segments and shares knowledge by helping the rest of the department improve their workflow. Has precise estimates and the whole team has full confidence in his decisions Shows high-quality work in all aspects of managing projects Has full responsibility for the final success of all assigned projects. | ||||||
11 | Senior - Fully independent and capable of tackling the largest projects with confidence and experience - Proactively looks for opportunities to improve processes and solve issues - Very familiar with the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Agile, and other high-level concepts - Actively mentors and shares knowledge with less experienced team members - Demonstrates professional application of their knowledge with leadership qualities | - Has developed soft skills and can expertly gain feedback from the client and the team - Has experience with public speaking - Can persuade clients to take certain solutions - Knows how to form a friendly yet professional bond with a client - Conveys Locastic's principles and culture through communication - Has experience with client negotiations and mediating workshops and meetings - Can breakdown complex concepts into simple terms for less experienced team members and clients - Familiar with business and tech terminology in many different areas | - Manages to achieve a long term consistent stream of small and functional feature deliveries - Can adjust workshop/ceremony exercises on the fly to keep them in a determined timeframe - Automates and optimizes his tasks to gain more time away from projects to improve other processes - Has a healthy work-life balance - Balances multiple projects, mentorships and internal tasks with ease | - Expertise with a wide array of tools, exercises, methods, and frameworks that are chosen and implemented based on the project's complexity, available budget, team experience, and the client - Adds and improves tasks from the Recurring task list - Can jump into any type of project and help organize and improve things no matter the complexity or domain fairly quickly - Can implement new processes successfully across all projects and departments - Understands the true meaning of agile and the manifesto principles and strives to achieve them - Can handle third-party teams even though it's not their direct manager | - Plans and delivers successfully across multiple projects - Uses work planning for upsell - Can arrange a team rotation with knowledge transfer without the quality of work suffering - Thinks long-term and suggests features and improvements to clients - Due to experience, can compare estimates between different projects, looking at prices, complexities, features etc. - Can adjust planning to different frameworks (scrum, kanban, waterfall, EU projects etc.) | - Has experience working on multiple projects in completely different domains which allows cross-domain thinking and problem solving - Brings additional value to clients by suggesting solutions through business consulting - Can pinpoint main issues in the clients' business flow and communicate their importance - Due to experience, can suggest technical solutions to improve business processes - Prioritizes problems based on business value and customer satisfaction - Can quickly detect the possible cause of an issue | - Due to experience can anticipate a lot of common risks between projects and industries - Knows a wide range of tools to anticipate and reduce risks - Based on risk analysis prepares the clients much in advance for possible issues/delays - When reporting an unavoidable risk, always gives solutions along with the report - Recognizes risks early and prepares the team and the client for them | - Has experience with different domains and uses it to add value to the project - Familiar with the whole BA process and can assist (or replace) the PO team on small-mid projects - Measures success based on actual business data - Uses knowledge from different projects and domains to improve the business process for the client - Can "open" new business domains and learn quickly | - Great mentorship and knowledge transfer skills - Acts proactively, and leads the team through changes - An example of less experienced team members who often seek him for advice - Listens, trusts, and cares for his team members - Empowers other team members by delegating tasks and sharing ownership | |
12 | Senior Roadmap | STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | |||||
13 | Full independence and project ownership, not just with PM responsibilities but cross-functionally Gives clear guidance and removes team obstacles Mentors less experienced team members Defines tasks for the whole team without supervision | Sought out as a mentor for other colleagues. Due to experience, can anticipate and know good patterns to solve edge cases and "unexpected" issues. Proactively implements processes to minimize project risks based on prior experience Full understanding of processes of other departments Full understanding of clients' business processes | Starts delegating tasks and focusing on higher-level issues Proactively solves major challenges and problems both project and department wise Successfully implements intra-department processes More involvement in strategic planning of work activities, resources, long-term goals... Can jump into virtually any project and handle issues quickly and efficiently | Reduces the complexity of projects/services/processes to get more done with less work. Leads adoption of new methodologies and processes Takes initiative to identify and solve issues in all departments and projects Can handle the trickiest projects and situations. Unexpected issues and tasks that others don't know how to solve are assigned to him. Represents the highest standard of quality Locastic has to offer | ||||||
14 | Lead - Has a strong instinct for change and a clear vision of improvement - Identifies challenges and resolves them without delay - Influences and steers the direction of the PM department, delegates assignments, and reviews the work of other PMs - Ensures that the team works as a unit while maintaining the same degree of quality throughout the department | - Can successfully communicate Locatic's goals and directions to the whole department - Can communicate cross-department issues - Can conduct job interviews professionally in his native language and English - Can freely, politely, and professionally communicate high stake situations (salary negotiations, budgets, deadlines, negative reviews etc.) | - Spends less time on client projects, and more time delegating and developing internal processes - Can strategically plan and set milestones with action points to achieve long-term goals - Spends more time planning quarterly and yearly assignments than weekly and monthly ones - Has a clear overview of all available resources and deadlines and helps with optimization | - Sets standards across the department - Focuses on general improvements that affect all projects - Detects issues across teams and looks for solutions - Defines seniority, required skills, and needed resources - Works closely with other departments to set new rules and standards for managing projects | - Creates career plans along with HR for the department - Plans education, conferences, and certificates for the team in advance in the available budget - Looks at upcoming projects, trends, and overall business strategy and directs education and learning - Plans resources long term | - Can successfully keep track of all active projects in Locastic and suggest improvements and changes - Tackles issues that all other seniority levels have failed to solve successfully - Focuses on solving problems that benefit the whole organization - Detects issues that occur multiple times on different projects | - Creates project management standards for the team to minimize risks - Mentors less experienced PMs how to use risk management techniques - Understands and teaches that transparent and timely communication with the client and the team drasticaly reduces the negative effects of a risk - Educates himself (and the team) on new risks and the options to manage them | - Uses BA knowledge on the company and department level - Measures internal business and financial KPIs against projects - Looks at business trends and stears the department and company with concrete data | - Leads the PM department (performance reviews, carers paths, weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings, long-term department and company strategy alignment...) | |
15 | Lead Roadmap | STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | |||||
16 | Works on team processes, motivation and satisfaction Conducts performance reviews and other 1n1 meetings Tries to remove all obstacles for other team members Can recognize & celebrate both individual and team success and improvements Consistently pushes departments within the company forward. | Plays a key role in developing overall company strategy Drives the conversation about department improvements and long-term strategy Sets and monitors performance criteria Has responsibility for the number of team members Forms onboarding processes | Formulates advancement steps and promotions Takes care of fair compensation Proactively works on increasing engagement and improving communication and collaboration inside and between departments Identifies major strategic opportunities for Locastic's growth | Leads the company in developing directions in all major areas Defines the departments' structure and goals Determines who to hire and when Makes sure that trends in technology, methodology, and strategy are being followed and implemented | ||||||