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Truth-Sayers
Knowledge doesn't always equal power as most any project leader can attest. In fact, messengers of the truth are often endangered species in the political jungles of many organizations. Here are suggestions for speaking the truth to power, including a look at how one project manager successfully applied these ideas to become an agent of much-needed change.
Project leaders are closest to the action in most organizations. While that makes them knowledgeable about what is going on and what should be done to achieve project success, unfortunately, they often do not usually possess the resources, political clout or approval to move forward. And the people in power are not always open to hearing the truth. This happens for any number of reasons, such as pressure from shareholders, a drive to meet an out-of-alignment measurement system, or insufficient knowledge about the project management process. Even worse, the messenger may get "shot down" for delivering the truth (bad news) to those in power.
Surviving the political jungle surrounding program and project environments requires specific skills from a project leader. One suggestion is to learn and apply a process for "speaking truth to power." The essence of this process is to prepare you with a detailed understanding of the current situation, reality and history of the people and organization that addresses why people believe …
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When someone is lying, is it true that their pants are actually on fire? - Jerry Seinfeld |