Accidental project managers (and why this conversation matters more than we admit)

There’s a version of project management that gets marketed to people, and it’s honestly kind of adorable.

It’s presented as this clean, structured, intentional career path. You study for it, earn it, step into the role, and then confidently manage projects as if everything behaves the way it’s supposed to.

That’s not how this works.

Most people don’t choose project management. They end up in it. Someone notices they’re organized, that they ask good questions, that they actually care whether things get done the right way. And before they fully understand what’s happening, they’re responsible for timelines, communication, expectations, and outcomes—without much context for what that actually means.

I've written a lot about accidental project management because it’s something I’ve been exploring more intentionally lately. Probably because it mirrors my own experience and the experience of most project managers I’ve worked with over the years.

This role doesn’t come from a clean path. It comes from stepping up when something needs to move. And once you start to see that pattern, it’s hard to unsee the gap between how the job is presented and how it’s actually experienced. So instead of continuing to write about it from a distance, I wanted to have a real conversation with people who’ve lived it.

Watch the panel conversation

I've spent years creating content for other brands and websites, and only recently realized I should have been doing it for myself all along, too. So here we are. My website is the home for all of my thoughts and ramblings, including new vidoes you can find on my YouTube channel. I am also hoping this will help me to promote my new book, Project Management for Humans, Second Edition. Expected this fall. Yay!

This was the first panel I hosted as part of PM Squad (which is no longer a thing), so I repurposed it, because I think it was really good! It's not a big production, it's just a recorded conversation with people I respect who have taken very different paths into this work—and have all had to figure it out in real time.

And honestly, that’s what made it good. No one was trying to impress anyone. No one was selling a framework. There was no “here’s the right way to do this.”

Just a handful of people who’ve all found their way into this role in different ways, comparing notes on what the job actually feels like. That kind of honesty and vulnerability (or realness) is always the take I want.

What we learned about accidental project management

What stood out to me wasn’t some big takeaway or neat summary. It was the consistency of the experiences, even across very different backgrounds.

Everyone had some version of the same story. They didn’t set out to be a project manager. They were good at something adjacent, they stepped up when something needed to move, and they figured it out as they went.

And once they were in it, the job wasn’t what they expected. It wasn’t about tools or process so much as about people. It was about figuring out how to get things done when you don’t have direct authority. It was about recognizing when something feels off before you can fully explain why. It was about navigating personalities, pressure, and ambiguity without a clear playbook.

That’s the part of the job that doesn’t get taught, and it’s also the part that matters most.

T L : D R - If you're an accidental PM, you're not alone. Connecting with others to talk about topics that impact your work and the way you see it, can be really helpful. Reach out if you want to be a part of it.