Conflicts and Power Clashes between Functional Managers and Project Managers

I agree with Luis.

Joao -

Business is people.

If you believe that, then you need to build positive relationships with functional managers BEFORE the going gets tough.

I've also found that when working with functional managers on a project for the first time, it helps to establish some working agreements or ground rules similar to what we'd do with a team. That way, there are no surprises...

Kiron

Hey João.

I build relationships with the functional managers and involve them in project decisions if I think it will help build support. It wouldn't hurt to have them in your communication plan, and your human resources management plan.

Happy Friday,
Stéphane

Hi Sergio,

Did not know of the method and decided to google it a bit.
It resulted in me adding Neal Rackham's "SPIN Selling" book to my "Wish List" list. Thanks for your inputs and nice suggestion!

You are welcome. Just to comment, SPIN Selling and Solution Selling are basically the same. I am saying that just in case you find into the internet something related to Solution Selling for free.

Hi Sergio,

Did not know of the method and decided to google it a bit.
It resulted in me adding Neal Rackham's "SPIN Selling" book to my "Wish List" list. Thanks for your inputs and nice suggestion!

Conflicts and clashes are signs of negative relationships, win-win and collaboration is the targeted outcome, best for the project and the involved parties.

That's why negotiations, conflict management, communications are key skills for a project manager and stakeholder analysis and engagement is so important. Emotional intelligence is required to understand them and influence them.

Some practical steps that worked for me:
- establish a good relationship with managers even before the project starts (eat drink talk)
- invite key managers to steering committees (when their peers help them)
- understand how you can help managers doing their job (e.g. building alliances)
- design the project orgchart so they are involved (and bound)
- involve other managers they are cautious with

You are welcome. I am not a seller but because the position I had in a US company I was trained in both methods with the authors of both. Then I find the method very usefull to use in things related to requirements elicitation, stakeholder analysis and mainly into all related to stakeholder management along the project and before and after the project exists/ends. Additional to add two other methods helped me a lot: Power Base Selling and LAMP.

Dear Joao,

In my experience this is were office politics comes into play as it has nothing to do with the job or project at hand but about who has more sway over the hierarchy above them. In my opinion this is about week leadership from above that allows situations like this is happen in the first place and even worst allows it to develop into situation that has a debilitating effect on all those around them. Some work environments actually encourage this in their organisation and see it as some Darwinian effect of survival of the fittest. Fortunately these environments that I witness this occurring no longer exist. In my experience helping and support you fellow human being is the way to go and clear roles and responsibilities, understood and agreed demarcation lines and HR policies in relation to escalation to a more senior manager in the event of a dispute should be made clear and available to each employee.

Daire