I'll Break It, You Fix It

 

In most organizations, project managers serve as the intermediary between executive management and the workers who will get the project done. In effective organizations, project management best practices help this relationship function harmoniously and successfully. In some cases, executives deliberately bypass, overrule and reject fundamental project management practices. Because the project manager generally doesn't call the shots, project managers become project salvagers.

This sort of "I'll break the rules, you make it work" attitude will cause serious strain on the project manager, and dramatically reduces the chances for successful project completion. In one particular case, a senior executive I worked with deliberately refused to allow the project scope documentation to be released to the project sponsor. He did this because he hoped that by withholding it, he could bait her into requesting changes later on. Then, when the change requests came in, he could use the scope document to prove that she was changing her mind and thus declare her a wishy-washy sponsor.

The Dysfunctions

The reasons motivating the rejection of proper project management are very diverse, but several categories are common:

Regent Syndrome. As supreme ruler, she believes all of her choices are good. It doesn't matter what the best practice is; she will set the direction. My all-time …

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