Your Examples of Irrational and Impossible People

@Andy,

Thanks for giving us the chance to participate in this. I would say I had to deal with Micro-Managers and it wasn't pleasant at all.

Please check my blog:

http://www.projectmanagement.com/blog/Project-is-the-Game---Management-is-the-Frame---Success-is-the-Name/16736/

You will see from my experience what they used to do, how it affected people and how we tried to overcome it.

I believe this is a very important question to be asked: Do you Micro-Manage ?

Posted: Dec 31, 2015 4:29 PM

Thanks for the quick reply, Rami! I'll check out your blog. Thanks for the idea!

Posted: Dec 31, 2015 6:03 PM

You are most welcome - Hope you find it useful. Cheers

Posted: Dec 31, 2015 7:23 PM

Andy, I'd like to hear more about the "Super-Ego". Not the psychology definition, but the person who cannot be wrong. It's an impossibility. The type that will argue with you that it is raining, while standing outside in the pouring rain.

I've found more than my fair share of these, and I'm always at a loss how to deal with them. Do you just appease them. No amount of evidence works.....and success in this scenario is whatever that individual has come up with. As a business analyst who has to map value and goals to objectives, there has been situations where the correct result wasn't chosen precisely because of ego. The data and the team supported one path so overwhelmingly it was a shock it wasn't chosen. The result years later was implementation at a substantial loss.

Good luck on your podcast, I'll be listening!

Posted: Jan 3, 2016 2:46 AM

The difficulties arise in a matrixed environment with different expectations from each of the stakeholders which have to be negotiated.

Posted: Jan 3, 2016 2:17 PM

@Steven, this is perfect. Thank you!

@Larry, I think you're exactly correct that matrixed environments make this even more difficult. I'll see if I can formulate a scenario for Mark that adds the matrix angle on it.

Thank you both!

Posted: Jan 3, 2016 6:56 PM

Hello Andy, good that you get to interview him
1. A crazy need not be an irrational person, a rational person within an 'irrational' environment could become crazy or even a bully. How can a organization deal with such scenario. I recently heard the podcast from Paul on 'Coping Strategies for Bullying in Project Management', seems to be a good comparison

2. in the book, within his cycle, he talks about identifying the person's modus operandi and also that the person i'm dealing with is unable to think rationally. The methods he describes could be applied if the person is my team mate, boss and so on, but for someone from leadership role, how do i go about doing it.

In a sense as I read through some of the techniques closely resemble what I have seen PM's use as part of stakeholder engagement process in managing difficult stakeholders

Posted: Jan 6, 2016 8:31 AM

@Kiran, thanks for comments! Thanks for the heads-up about Paul's webinar. For those who are interested, Paul's session can be found at:
http://www.projectmanagement.com/webinars/301338/Coping-Strategies-for-Bullying-in-Project-Management

I'll ask Mark about your question regarding when the "crazy" is in a leadership role. Thanks again!

Posted: Jan 6, 2016 11:25 AM

Appearances of conflict of interest can be as bad as actual conflicts. I have dealt with situations where one person should have recused themselves from a decision or process. While I have no reason to impugn their behaviour, I am left with doubt and feelings of mistrust.

Posted: Jan 7, 2016 1:34 PM

@Stephane, thank you for sharing that helpful insight. That lingering doubt and feelings of mistrust can definitely impact relationships and projects. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Posted: Jan 7, 2016 3:10 PM

Thank you for sharing that helpful insight.

Posted: Jan 9, 2016 9:15 AM

I have seen some persons who get the opportunity without deserving it. They are not a good listener, rational and dogmatic. They take things personal without understanding the situation.

Posted: Jan 14, 2016 10:16 AM

Well said, @Pankaj. Your point about listening reminded me of our interview with the author of Thanks for the Feedback.

It's easy for me to see it when others are poor at listening or taking things personal. It's more difficult for me to see it in myself.

It's a great book! Here''s a link to the interview: http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/108.

Posted: Jan 14, 2016 2:32 PM

Following is my take on the post - I'll club craziness with rational and irrational. First, the category - crazy with rational are the one who are crazy for work and are workaholic. The second one I say do not possess that maturity level and hence the behaviour.

Posted: Feb 11, 2016 2:27 AM