Project Politics and Pattern Recognition

 

Interesting conversation today with an investment banker.

He is highly analytical, data specialist, concerned with advising IPO potentials. His specialism is finding the patterns in the data and extracting commercial value for his clients.

When it comes to politics, he is mystified, he cannot see the patterns. He thinks it chaotic.

Yet, with politics, the patterns are there, but unless you recognise them, they will do you head in, and frustrate your execution. Once you see the patterns, things become much clearer. Still, you may not be able to do anything about it, but the insight makes it easier to cope.

In fact, pattern recognition is one of the advanced capabilities I work with on my courses to master the politics. For this investment banker, it is about turning his analytical eye from the patterns in the data to the patterns in the social interactions.

Can you recognise the patterns?

Colin

PS: Delighted to see that my webinar How to Manage Project Politics has been fixed and restored to the OnDemand library here at the PMI.