Happy Belated Project Management Day (to Those of Us Without the Title)
By Nannapat Jochmann · PMP®
I almost missed the party
Confession: International Project Management Day was on Thursday, 5 November. And I almost missed it.
Well, not completely. I saw it. My LinkedIn feed was full of it. Cakes, team photos, heartfelt posts thanking "all the amazing PMs out there." I scrolled, I smiled, and then my thumb hovered over the like button for a slightly awkward moment.
Because I wasn't sure I was invited.
I have PMP after my name. I plan, I chase, I align, I follow up on the follow-up. But my job title says business analyst.
So was it my day too? I decided to think about it. For nine days. Which, ask me how I know, is very on-brand for someone who writes requirements for a living.
The untitled PM
Here's what a normal week looks like for me.
I turn a workshop into requirements that both the business and IT actually agree on. I work with stakeholders in the Netherlands, France and the UK, all at the divisional level. That means a lot of different priorities to bring into one plan. And a lot of calendars to align.
I notice when a decision has quietly gone missing. I find out who owns it. I put it on an agenda and politely keep it there until it's made.
I know which dependency is going to bite us in three weeks, and I'm already nudging the right people about it.
None of that is in my job title. All of it is project management.
And I'm clearly not the only one. Every organisation runs on people like this. The analyst who keeps the timeline. The team lead who runs the stand-up. The coordinator who knows where everything is. The colleague who always, somehow, has the agenda ready.
We don't have PM on the badge. We do have PM in our calendars.
Six signs you're a project manager without the title
Not sure if this is you? A quick self-assessment. No certification required.
1. You've said "just to align" more than once before lunch.
Possibly before coffee.
2. You write the meeting notes because otherwise the meeting didn't happen.
Nobody asked you to. Everybody reads them.
3. You translate for a living.
Between business and IT. Between "urgent" and "actually urgent." Between "we need this" and "here's what we can deliver."
4. You have a risk log.
It may be a spreadsheet. It may be a notes app. It may live entirely in your head at 2 a.m.
5. People bring you a "quick question" that turns out to be a project.
With a deadline. Of last Friday.
6. You manage stakeholders at home too.
Mine is a toddler who recently requested ice cream for breakfast. I'm still negotiating the scope.
Three or more? Congratulations. You're one of us. Happy belated PM Day.
A skill set, not a job title
Here's what I've come to believe: project management is something you do, not only something you're called.
The title tells people where to find you on the org chart. The skills tell them what happens when you're in the room. Scope gets clearer. Risks get named early. Decisions actually get made. People leave the meeting knowing who does what by when.
That's the job. Whatever the badge says.
And honestly, the business analyst seat is a great place to practise it. You sit right where the business need meets the solution. You see the gaps before anyone else does. You hear "that's not what we meant" early enough to fix it cheaply.
This isn't a complaint about titles. It's a thank-you to the work.
If you're an untitled PM too
A few things that have helped me. Small, practical, no title change required.
Notice it. Next time you unblock a decision or rescue a timeline, pause for a second. That was project management. Give yourself the credit, even if only in your head.
Name it. Use the language. "I managed the dependencies." "I ran the stakeholder alignment." It helps others understand what you bring, and it helps you see it too.
Keep learning. For me, the PMP gave me a shared vocabulary and a toolbox I use every single week, even in a BA role. It doesn’t have to be a certification. A course, a book, a mentor, a newsletter (hello). Anything that sharpens the craft.
Find your people. The best part of PM Day isn’t the cake. It’s realising how many people do this work, under how many different titles. We learn a lot from each other.
So, was I invited?
Nine days later, I have my answer. Yes. And so are you.
So here's my very belated, very sincere Happy Project Management Day. To the PMs with the title, obviously. And to the business analysts, the coordinators, the team leads, the product owners, the colleague with the colour-coded spreadsheet, and every parent running a household like a small programme with one very demanding stakeholder.
If you do the work, it's your day too.
Are you a project manager without the title? Or did you start that way? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.
Milestone by milestone, title or no title.
