How to influence team members in a project when one does not authority or when the team member does not respect or trust you (sometimes due to purely selfish and ego reasons) (do believe me I am not
In a project team where members are from different nationalities and have little or no acquaintance, how to influence the member in a constructive manner?
In the above situation, considering the project has more ambiguities and is made more complex due to circumstances such as uncertainty on project approval to execute, economic situation not favorable could cause team member behave in a manner which is not conducive or positive.
Kindly share your comments or opinion Saving Changes...
Sort By:
Patrick QuirkManaging Partner| FOQUS Partners LLCLexington, Ky, United States
Hi, Balaji. Sounds like a classic case of PM responsibility without authority which boils down to the PM mastering skills for leadership and influencing others.
Formal tools don't tend to fully do the trick here, but getting the sponsor to approve a charter, a project manager assignment letter outlining authority, clearly defined goals for the project, etc. all contribute to your ability to rally the team around a common cause.
I've found the "soft" (some prefer the term "critical") skills to be much more effective in these cases. It typically boils down to getting to know the individuals involved. With remote teams, video chats (one on one or group) help make the other person real which often improves interactions in other mediums of communication as well.
Yes it is a typical situation wherein the task of influencing the stubborn and intentionally warding off members is mammoth.
Let me understand them in more detail and deeper.
Thanks for the link
Balaji Saving Changes...
Fernando RemolinaDirector, Projects Planning and Control| ASTIVIK ShipyardWillemstad, Curaçao
Dear Ganesan,
Here you have to analyze your team, you can use a stakeholder analysis and matrix (in this case your team) find out their expectations regarding project so you can start to work in a plan in order to get their buy in. People are not easy to manage but if you as the PM shows them that you are interested on their expectations and that you are working hard to achieve it, for sure you will gain respect from them, otherwise you will continue in the same situation. I had a similiar situation, at that moment I was the foreign, and I showed my team that I came to work as a team, taking care of their needs and with no afraid to get hands dirty literally, then I started to gain respect from them.
Thanks for the posting.
Yes it is a challenge to manage people and to demonstrate that one is really trying hard to meet the expectations.
Let me see how far I can succeed Saving Changes...
Jim BrandenSenior Project Manager| Retired from UNC Charlotte - IT Services - PPMOCharlotte, Nc, United States
Balaji, Fernando and Patrick, thanks for all your comments and observations. When the PM "gets her/his hands dirty" it shows humility and leadership. Humility in showing you understand the efforts required to accomplish the tasks to produce the deliverables and leadership in commitment to reaching the goal.
Maybe "A dog is a person's best friend", while I tell my PM students, "The Charter is your Friend. It limits your authority and acts as a shield against 'Scope Creep'." I define "Scope Creep as the person who won't pay for changes.!" Saving Changes...
"Ambition is like a frog sitting on a Venus Flytrap. The flytrap can bite and bite, but it won't bother the frog because it only has little tiny plant teeth. But some other stuff could happen and it could be like ambition."
