--- title: Speaking Project Management for Non-Project Managers description: Translating business-speak into project management terms can increase your professional value. image: https://resources.educate360.com/hubfs/Speaking%20PM%20for%20Non%20PMs.jpg --- - *A Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam Prep Provider* - [877-637-0450](tel:8776370450) - [Contact Us](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/contact) - [My Account](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/portal/user/login.php?redirect=no) [![Project Management Academy](https://resources.educate360.com/hubfs/logo/PMA_Logo.png)](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/) [![Project Management Academy](https://resources.educate360.com/hubfs/logo/pma-mobile-logo.png)](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/) - *A Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam Prep Provider* - [877-637-0450](tel:8776370450) - [Contact Us](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/contact) - [My Account](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/portal/user/login.php?redirect=no) - [PMP® Certification](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/pmp-certification) - [PMI-ACP® Certification](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/pmi-acp) - [All Courses](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/training-courses) - [Corporate Training](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/corporate-training-solutions) - [PDU Catalog](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/online-pdu-training) - [PMP Exam Practice Questions](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/free-pmp-questions) - [PMP® Certification](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/pmp-certification) - [PMI-ACP® Certification](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/pmi-acp) - [All Courses](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/training-courses) - [Corporate Training](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/corporate-training-solutions) - [PDU Catalog](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/online-pdu-training) - [PMP Exam Practice Questions](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/free-pmp-questions) - Topics - Follow Us - [Subscribe](https://learn.projectmanagementacademy.net/subscribe) - [Agile](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/agile/) - [Continuing Education](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/agile/) - [Lean Six Sigma](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/lean-six-sigma/) - [PMI-ACP](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/pmi-acp/) - [PMP Certification](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/pmp-certification/) - [Project Management](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/project-management/) - [Risk Management](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/risk-management/) - [Training and Development](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/resources/blog/category/training-and-development/) " - - - - ![Speaking Project Management for Non-Project Managers](https://resources.educate360.com/hubfs/Speaking%20PM%20for%20Non%20PMs.jpg) ![Blog Feature](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/298890/blog-files/blog--cards-feature.png) [Subscribe](https://learn.projectmanagementacademy.net/subscribe) ![Megan Bell, MPM, PMP](https://resources.educate360.com/hubfs/MeganBell.jpg) By: [Megan Bell, MPM, PMP](https://resources.educate360.com/author/megan-bell-mpm-pmp) on January 6th, 2021 Print/Save as PDF # Speaking Project Management for Non-Project Managers [Project Management](https://resources.educate360.com/tag/project-management) - Share: - - - - - - [mailto:?body=https://resources.educate360.com/speaking-project-management-for-non-project-managers](mailto:?body=https://resources.educate360.com/speaking-project-management-for-non-project-managers) What all professionals need, those with formal Project Management titles and those without, is a keen understanding of what makes a business function and how that business fits into the relevant industry. That understanding is known as “business acumen.” Consider this scenario: * ![Speaking PM for Non PMs 1](https://resources.educate360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Speaking%20PM%20for%20Non%20PMs%201.png?width=1346&name=Speaking%20PM%20for%20Non%20PMs%201.png)* In the example, and in thousands of similar moments in businesses of all types, people with no project management training or formal background are in fact doing project management work. A core component of business acumen is speaking “project management.” It is an important professional skill for anyone that: - works with Project Managers, - uses project management information to report to leadership, - translates project management work for generalized business audiences, and/or - writes proposals, grants, or contracts. One does not need to have a PMI Project Management Professional (PMP ®) certification to “speak” project management. You can grow the skills needed to connect project and business concepts.   # Business Acumen Speaking the language of formal project management is part of an overall business acumen. As described in this [Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/organizational-and-employee-development/pages/business-acumen-more-than-business-knowledge.aspx), business acumen is: *“…understand\[ing\] its organization’s operations and functions, as well as the industry and competitive environment in which the organization operates…uses that information to effectively make business decisions.”* Business professionals should gain knowledge and understanding of core project management terms and processes as it enhances one’s ability to better understand how work is assigned, managed, and monitored in an organization.   # Project Management Term Translations Within the global [Project Management Institute (PMI)](https://www.pmi.org/) standards, including *A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge* (*[PMBOK® Guide](https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards)*), there is a robust lexicon of terms. It is important for those that navigate different aspects of an organization to be able to translate the business term (left column) into the project management term (3rd column) in order to best meet the need. Examples include:   ![Speaking PM for Non PMs 3](https://resources.educate360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Speaking%20PM%20for%20Non%20PMs%203.png?width=1460&name=Speaking%20PM%20for%20Non%20PMs%203.png) In the provided examples, the non-project manager asks for explanations or information using more common business terms. Those requests have a direct correlation to formal project management, if one is able to speak the language. Connecting the business side to the project management side enables you to improve communications between groups, prevent duplication of efforts due to misunderstandings, and foster alignment of need and goals.   # Business Value of Business Acumen Fortunately, you probably know more project management than you realize and can build on that to grow your overall business acumen. Consider training topics that are project management in foundation but enhance your overall business acumen and professional skill set. | [Project Management Fundamentals](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/pm-fundamentals-young-professional-course) | [Business Analysis Fundamentals](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/business-analysis-fundamentals) | [Emotional Intelligence](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/emotional-intelligence) | [Leading Dispersed Teams](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/leading-dispersed-teams) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Managing Client and Stakeholder Expectations](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/managing-client-and-stakeholder-expectations) | [Program Management Fundamentals](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/program-management-fundamentals) | [Project Management Fundamentals](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/project-management-fundamentals) | [Risk Management Fundamentals](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/risk-management-fundamentals) | | [Strategic Risk Management](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/strategic-risk-management) | [Time Management](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/time-management) | [Understanding Critical Path](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/understanding-the-critical-path) | [Work Breakdown Structure](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/work-breakdown-structure) | You may not have a formal project management background but find yourself collaborating with project managers as part of your daily responsibilities. Growing your skills and fostering business acumen in your teams will benefit all. [![PM Fundamentals](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3294842/4726b688-2244-48e4-ae05-e7df2964c58b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3294842/4726b688-2244-48e4-ae05-e7df2964c58b) #### About Megan Bell, MPM, PMP A multi-hyphenate of corporate training, higher education, and creative agency work, Bell’s passion for connecting people to impactful information fuels an evolving career journey. Her portfolio includes conducting learning analytic research and reporting, managing a corporate mentoring program, authoring a blog series, facilitating leadership and career programs, serving on a non-profit board, and even occasional voice work. Bell’s education background encompasses UNC-Chapel Hill, Western Carolina University, and North Carolina State University. - **Connect with Megan Bell, MPM, PMP** - Copyright © 2026 Educate 360 / New Horizons / Project Management Academy / Six Sigma Online / TCM Security / TRACOM / Velopi / Watermark Learning. All rights reserved. [Terms of Use](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/terms) | [Policies](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/purchase-agreement) | [Privacy Statement](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/privacy) | [Contact Us](https://projectmanagementacademy.net/contact) PMI, PMBOK, PMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, PMI-PBA, The PMI TALENT TRIANGLE and the PMI Talent Triangle logo, and the PMI Registered Education Provider logo are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. | PMI R.E.P Provider ID #3348 ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark of AXELOS Limited. The Swirl logo™ is a trade mark of AXELOS Limited. Project Management Academy®, PMA®, the most trusted name in project management training®, and Senior Certified Project Manager® are registered marks of Educate 360, LLC. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Article", "articleBody" : "What all professionals need, those with formal Project Management titles and those without, is...", "articleSection" : [ "Project Management" ], "author" : "Megan Bell, MPM, PMP", "creator" : "Megan Bell, MPM, PMP", "datePublished" : "2021-01-06 09:03:23", "headline" : "Speaking Project Management for Non-Project Managers", "image" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/3294842/Speaking%20PM%20for%20Non%20PMs.jpg", "keywords" : [ ], "mainEntityOfPage" : "True" } ```