Dear Bob ... I manage a small (~30 person) IT department which we augment from time to time with independent contractors depending on the workload. Two of my managers (applications and desktop support) are trying to persuade me that we need to hire a full-time project manager. I'm not convinced. The biggest "projects" we take on involve no more than four IT staff members at a time (plus contractors) and for no Dear Bob …I manage a small (~30 person) IT department which we augment from time to time with independent contractors depending on the workload.Two of my managers (applications and desktop support) are trying to persuade me that we need to hire a full-time project manager. I’m not convinced. The biggest “projects” we take on involve no more than four IT staff members at a time (plus contractors) and for no longer than six months at a crack. I’ve told them I expect everyone in IT to be able to manage projects this small, and anyone who can’t is the wrong person and should be replaced. But they keep bring up the subject.What do you think I should do – fire them for not accepting my decision, or continue to be patient?– Not hiring, not buying Dear Not …I don’t think you’re going to like my answer. A six-month project is as long as any project should be no matter how big the IT organization; four staff members plus contractors sounds like an eight to ten person project team.That’s a project. The fact of the matter is that the ability to manage projects is distinct from the ability to write code, customize packaged applications, integrate applications, or run an operational department. There are, I’m sure, people who can do both. That doesn’t mean anyone who can’t do both should be fired, if for no other reason than that you probably aren’t paying enough to keep them.You have projects, and unmanaged projects generally don’t get done very well. They drift. A good project manager will save you far more money than you’ll spend on salary and benefits.It sounds to me like it’s time to listen to the people who report to you. So let me ask you this: If you don’t think they have enough sense to be worth listening to, what does that say about your ability to hire the right managers? – Bob ——– Technology Industry