Decision Making and Project Management

Dear Thomas
Thank you for your opinion.

The article you shared on the link has a set of important tips to consider before making a decision.
Interestingly it ends: "How do you make big decisions?"

Do you usually use a process when you have to make decisions?

Do you often consult with people who will be impacted by your decision before you make it?

Luis

I use different ways to come to decisions, not only one process.
The 'processes' I saw in this post are in my view mostly problem solution steps. They do not talk much about stakeholders involved.

As I wrote before, as example for a process the project change decision (approve/reject) is normally a formal process included in the Project Management Plan (or even the contract).

In decision meetings I strive for consensus of the group/team, if there is a major dissent, it might require an breakout before reaching the consensus.

A good analog is a hospital when doctors enter a concilium and make decisions about treatments, or the triage in case of catastrophe treatment when only one doctor makes live or die decisions.

I have seen many make decisions based on input from (several) subject matter experts, so I belief the decision maker must not be an expert at all. In most governments and corporations the people who decide up the ladder are no experts.

Having worked with Japanese a lot, they way they make decisions is a lengthy process involving all stakeholders (Ringi), decisions are accepted by all parties thru the process and are stable since real consensus is reached.

In time critical situations, I might decide by myself.

And yes, I strive to 'socialize' the context and content of the decision.

Adrian: you are confusing me. You say the management of the club hire a manager (coach) who in turn makes the decisions.However he is the manager not the SME. He may have been at one time (QB, linebacker, receiver, whatever) but is not now. The SMEs are the players - the current experts. So, you hire a number of SMEs (players) and then hire a project manager (coach) who's expertise is to get the SMEs to work collaboratively to, hopefully, successfully deliver the project. Note that the coach is a SME in his own right.
Using that analogy, the manager (coach) makes the macro-decisions whereas the SMEs (players) make the micro-decisions. As the coach, project managers are SMEs in their own right, that of project delivery.

Adrian

my experience is different from what you describe. My professional life since 1988 showed that I made decisions without being a SME but listening to SMEs. For example I was called to review a SAP rollout without any SAP knowledge, and then was asked to run this and sunsequent SAP rollouts for 5 years.

Yes, there are leaders that were SMEs before, there are also some that were and are not.

Dear Thomas,

I don't want to offend you in anyway but I have seen a lot IT PMs "running" IT Projects despite not having the slightest understanding of the technical aspects involved.

These PMs did play an important role overall for the project but they were not making any kind of decisions related to work the team was doing. When you "listen" to the SME it is the SME who really makes the decision and not you. For you it may seem that you are making the decision but in reality you have no alternative to what the SME tells you. You have to accept his solution as you are unable to challenge it or come with an alternative.

If the SME says that some actions have to be performed in order to complete the work then your so called decision would always be that those actions have to be performed. So who is really the decision maker?

The only instance when a PM can decide to stop the team members from doing something is when there is no budget for that peace of work or the requirement is out of scope and the client hasn't agreed to pay for a change request yet. So the PMs go/no go decision is based purely on budget. Non-technical PMs can't make any real work related decision and are not perceived as leaders by the project team members. Those that do try to make work related decision without proper knowledge would just bother the team.

I see from reading some of the responses that people are not differentiating project decisions from personal. In my experience, project decisions are rarely made in isolation. As a project manager or SME I don't recall ever taking a problem into my little space and then coming out with the answer with thoughts of imposing it on the team.
Typically the problems comes from/through the team, the problem is defined with the team and the team participates throughout the process. The decisions is made with the team. I may have taken some time - leave it with me for a couple days - and then comeback for a final go. If its an HR issue or high level concern (not direct project team related) the interaction is with senior management, but rarely alone. This does not mean I can't make decisions that are mine to make, only that the project decision process must be transparent in order to achieve acceptance.

Dear Luis,

These are very close questions, however I am trying to elaborate the same:

1. A decision is communicated without consulting you.

Ans: I think this is a forcible scenario. These can come in two circumstances giving example in below:

A. Organization Level: When any organization decide any strategic movement then this such kind of communication give to all employee.
Sr. management involve on that & no bargain/argument is allowed with this regards.

B. Project Level: Say project in critical phase & need extra hour to complete the deliverables. Then manager can issue general mail to provide extra effort or increase working hours to every team member.

Such type of communication is by default a forcing in nature.

2. You are consulted before making any decision.

Ans: Assume I am a Sr. team member & manager asked me a crucial decision. Say performance of a particular team member & allote the working grade. However, as a sr. team member I have to disclose all to my manager regarding this team member. I think here I need to follow respect & honesty to make such decision. It could be anything. Just I am mentioning sample example.

Now, coming to your answer, acceptance of these two aforesaid scenario.

1. I usually not support the forceive decision. But here is also one point. What is the situation? Means situational decision making strategy.

2. Here also I need to think before placing a decision what will be the impact or counter effect. It could goes positive or negative both are the possibilities in here & it's very sensitive. Because, anything happen it's directly/indirectly affect me.

But, I will go with 2. Not with 1. Because as a senior member I need to take this responsibility.

However, this is the justification from my end.

Like to know your opinion also on this.

Thanks,
Rajon