Candice ShubbieConsultant| PROJECT40 ConsultingOntario, Ca, United States
As a PM, one of the most difficult aspects of the job has been managing a project team of individuals who do not report to me, or who rank much higher than me within the company. I understand that project management isn’t about “authority” but it may not always seem that way to the project team when the PM is constantly shining a light on their shortcomings.
Being responsible for the outcome of a project, but having no authority to set deadlines, adjust scope, allocate resources etc. is not a new point of contention for project managers but we all evolve and change in the way we do things. What strategies do you use to push back? How do you deal with team leaders who don’t manage their teams, but who also don’t want you to “manage them?”
Saving Changes...
William M Hayden JrAdjunct Assistant Professor| University at Buffalo, School of Management, Operations Management & StrategyBuffalo, Ny, United States
Wow Candice,
What a mixed bag you are in!
Re: "How do you deal with team leaders who don’t manage their teams,
but who also don’t want you to “manage them?”
1st, the root-cause of this behavior starts in that orgs C-Suite.
Patiently deal with the day-to-day struggle while you seek new employment.
Cheers,
Bill Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Candice, this scenario is quite typical in a weak matrix organization structure. In such setups, project managers can effectively navigate by leveraging their strong interpersonal skills. I have personally experienced this dynamic in my career, and although it wasn't my preferred environment, it provided valuable opportunities to hone my soft skills.
What proved beneficial for me was establishing strong relationships with both team members and leaders by actively listening to their concerns, understanding their viewpoints, and empathizing with their challenges. Subsequently, I utilized my expertise and knowledge to influence decisions and actions which involved providing insightful data-driven recommendations and industry best practices.
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1 reply by Gerardo Delgado
May 02, 2024 12:13 PM
Gerardo Delgado
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I agree with your point that it is a strong sign of a very weak PM Organization. Many key members do not know how this business functions. The 3 -legged constrain stool (Cost -Schedule-Quality) is not known, or it is misunderstoon, hence it is misapplied.
This is where it is beneficial to have a project charter. Ideally the sponsor is at a level sufficient where they do have the authority to ensure your support. If not, they should act as your champion to influence the people who's support you need. When presenting your case, be clear about the facts. What is the benefit of the project, and what is the risk if you lack support such as missing your financial window of opportunity.
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1 reply by Bob Patrino
May 02, 2024 4:41 PM
Bob Patrino
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Hi Keith, great answer!! The project charter, or the equivalent with a different title, is the agreement between executive leadership (sponsors) and the project team giving them the 'authority' to proceed with the work. Very rarely does a project leader have direct functional authority over the project team.
It needs to start by inspiring your team members to want the project to succeed and seeing that success as aligned with their own objectives. Empowering them to be part of the planning and execution of the project and treating them as professionals goes a long way towards helping them feel a sense of autonomy. Finally, if their lack of engagement is the result of too much on their plates, you should either directly (or with the assistance of your sponsor) work with their managers to ensure their workload is manageable.
Kiron Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Candice,
When we hear that a PM is “responsible without authority,” we usually relate that to an accountable project manager having limited authority and control over project resources due primarily to weak matrix structures where functional managers hold the decision-making power. This use case is relatively common, and as mentioned, employing soft leadership skills and working closely with the line managers can mitigate most concerns.
However, your setup states that the PM is [A] accountable but lacks the authority to [B] set deadlines, [C] adjust scope, and [D] allocate resources. This combination is essentially untenable as it’s a breeding ground for [1] frustration, [2] helplessness, [3] productivity issues, and the least favored word of all, [4] failure (or forms of it).
Project professionals who are NOT accountable and have these authority issues may have the title of project manager but are functionally fulfilling a “project coordinator” role. But again, that is NOT the scenario you are describing.
As Keith Novak mentioned, having an “empowerment-based project charter” is the medicine for this ill.
George
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2 replies by Glenn Chundrlek
Apr 30, 2024 10:59 AM
Glenn Chundrlek
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I put my reply in the wrong comment.
Apr 30, 2024 11:01 AM
Glenn Chundrlek
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George, I find myself in a similar situation. I have project team members who communicate with each other but not with me. I have attempted to point out instances where plans were made and not followed only to be told that I should not be negative. Management wants to be seen as "Agile" but are unwilling to communicate an overall strategy and appear to view project management as coordinators. It's disheartening,
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
The key is: you, as project manager, are not accountable for the outcome of the project. The team is accountable for that. You are accountable for facilitating the flow of work.
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1 reply by Candice Shubbie
Apr 18, 2024 1:55 PM
Candice Shubbie
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Hi Sergio, yes you are correct in that the team as a whole is responsible for the outcome of the project, but as PMs we are responsible for coordinating the efforts of the team members, managing resources, mitigating risks, and resolving issues that arise during the project lifecycle. What strategies do you have for facilitating the flow of work when dealing with team members who are poorly managed, or those who don't want the "management" of a PM?
It may happen. Find the enforcement/empowerment methods in the organization and ties the project to their interest. It helps a little bit.
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1 reply by Candice Shubbie
Apr 18, 2024 1:47 PM
Candice Shubbie
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Abolfazl, good point, as I have found this to be most helpful.
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Candice ShubbieConsultant| PROJECT40 ConsultingOntario, Ca, United States
Apr 18, 2024 7:23 AM
Replying to Abolfazl Yousefi Darestani
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It may happen. Find the enforcement/empowerment methods in the organization and ties the project to their interest. It helps a little bit.
Abolfazl, good point, as I have found this to be most helpful. Saving Changes...
Candice ShubbieConsultant| PROJECT40 ConsultingOntario, Ca, United States
Apr 18, 2024 5:50 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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The key is: you, as project manager, are not accountable for the outcome of the project. The team is accountable for that. You are accountable for facilitating the flow of work.
Hi Sergio, yes you are correct in that the team as a whole is responsible for the outcome of the project, but as PMs we are responsible for coordinating the efforts of the team members, managing resources, mitigating risks, and resolving issues that arise during the project lifecycle. What strategies do you have for facilitating the flow of work when dealing with team members who are poorly managed, or those who don't want the "management" of a PM?
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1 reply by Sergio Luis Conte
Apr 18, 2024 3:16 PM
Sergio Luis Conte
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That is the "art" in the project management profession. I can wrote a lot, but I resume this in one sentence: you have to make all project stakeholders feel that they will be more rich with the solution you are creating than without it, where rich does not mean more money only. That´s because a business analyst must be assigned to the initiative from the very begining and that´s because stakeholder management methods and techniques must be following.
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Apr 18, 2024 1:55 PM
Replying to Candice Shubbie
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Hi Sergio, yes you are correct in that the team as a whole is responsible for the outcome of the project, but as PMs we are responsible for coordinating the efforts of the team members, managing resources, mitigating risks, and resolving issues that arise during the project lifecycle. What strategies do you have for facilitating the flow of work when dealing with team members who are poorly managed, or those who don't want the "management" of a PM?
That is the "art" in the project management profession. I can wrote a lot, but I resume this in one sentence: you have to make all project stakeholders feel that they will be more rich with the solution you are creating than without it, where rich does not mean more money only. That´s because a business analyst must be assigned to the initiative from the very begining and that´s because stakeholder management methods and techniques must be following.
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1 reply by Candice Shubbie
Apr 19, 2024 12:46 PM
Candice Shubbie
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Sergio, you raise a good point about having a consistent BA or SME assigned to the initiative from the start. An ever changing team can definitely make matters worse when managing a project with already disengaged or resistant team members.
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