Lara DollProject Manager, CAPMFort Worth, Tx, United States
Hey all! Title might be confusing, but I wanted to pick your brains about effective project management in a company that is home-grown and has approx 50 employees, some of which are related.
As a project manager, I have no real power (we never do!). However, I need to get the team to work towards goals and reach them.
If you've been in this situation, I'd like to know how you inspire people to work towards company goals when they are not used to change and take change personally?
For example, we are working on an initiative which involves a software solution. There are issues with the software (that possibly have fixes), but there are people that get defensive when it's suggested that the issues can be resolved.
How do you effectively manage and get work done in this situation? Saving Changes...
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Tove TronslienSenior Project Manager| Digital EchidnaLondon, Ontario, Canada
Sometimes the defensiveness comes from the lack of ability to get the mind out of the track it is in. I like to try to educate myself with the potential solutions. This way I can go back to the team and help drive new thinking. However, I don't propose the solution. I will go back to the basics and act ignorant with something as simple as "I don't understand the problem." The team starts fleshing out and explaining the problem. This often allows me openings to ask questions along the way and in the end I often have the team seeing the problem and thus a solution from another angle. You must have enough knowledge when (and what ) to say "I have a hard time understanding why we can't try xyz" This way you can inject potential new solutions, they have to think out loud why it won't work - which sometimes ends in... I have not tried that or we could try that. I'm trying to come across as I am the problem or I have the problem so I need them to help me understand. So it's not their lack of skills that is questioned, it's mine. Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
A brainstorming workshop where participants can feel as though they are collaboratively looking at the business problem and helping to identify potential solutions could be a great start. Saving Changes...
Amit SharmaProject Manager| IT MajorDelhi, Delhi, India
By the sounds of it, too me "equals" with nothing at stake it seems. Bring in a leader with clear vision and decision-making. Let it be his/her neck at the stake, but only after some more heads have rolled-off before hand, if needed. Saving Changes...
Drake SettsuProject Manager / BloggerHi, United States
Lara,
You need to be flexible with the approach you use. Be clear with your team on what your expectations are. Have a meeting to explain the approach that you will be using for this project and ask for feedback so you can make appropriate adjustments.
We can never motivate (as that comes from within) but we can inspire. For the specific challenge you face, I'd suggest meeting individually with the "difficult" stakeholders to understand why they are resisting as that might help you identify the best path to getting them onboard.
If you haven't read it yet, you may want to read Drive by Daniel Pink to get some good insights on leading without formal authority.
Good luck!
Kiron
Kiron Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Lara, most project managers are in that situation, to lead without authority (power). So, welcome to that boat. This may be the common denominator of the PM profession.
The answer is to learn how to influence without power. This is the final goal of PM leadership development and emotional intelligence. Also servant leadership, persuasion, team building, active listening, networking come into mind.
I personally attended several classes when I was at IBM to learn about that and my volunteering at a PMI Chapter accelerated the change for me. Toastmasters has a leadership path. Saving Changes...
Derek SmithProject Coordinator| Red BullCa, United States
There's a Forbes article titled "People Can't Be Motivated, But They Can Be Inspired". Check it out! I hope it helps :) Saving Changes...
