The 10 Essentials for Avoiding Human Conflict in Project Management: APPEASEDDD

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Introduction
If I was asked to list the greatest weakness in the Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition (PMI, 2013), it would be that it does tend to describe processes as if they were activities to be performed by robots. There is nothing wrong in what the PMBOK® Guide tells us, but what should we do when the test manager bursts into tears when asked to agree to the reporting cycle?

If you are reading this article, the chances are good that you are a living and breathing human being, and you are likely to be involved in working with other human beings on things we call “projects.”

The PMBOK® Guide offers guidance about conflict management techniques, but it does seem to model a situation where two calm people have conflicting objectives and must reprogram themselves to achieve a shared goal. There is nothing wrong with the advice, but what about stress, anger, jealousy, outrage, resentment, and fear? These are powerful drivers of human behavior and, more than anything, it is human behavior that needs to be controlled and directed in order for projects to be delivered.

It is easy to say that we should all remain calm and just tell people to carry on regardless of the issues being faced. It would work well with a robot, but unfortunately, it does not always …

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