Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Have you ever dealt with stakeholders so fixated on an bad idea or faulty method that they insist you run a project in a particular way, despite your warnings that the project will produce subpar results or fail? How have you responded to these situations? Clarification: These stakeholders are the type motivated by selfish ambition, the sort who would knowingly waste millions of dollars just to keep themselves in power, regardless of how it harms the organization or the people it serves. The actions of these stakeholders aren’t illegal, but it’s obvious they aren’t in the organization’s best interests.
A. “It’s your money, and I’ll do my best. Just remember that I warned you.” B. “I can’t in good conscience be a part of this project.”
Or did you respond in some different manner? Saving Changes...
George JucanManaging Partner| Organizational Perfomance Enablers NetworkWoodbridge, Ontario, Canada
As project managers we're only as good as the last project we managed - we are committed to the project's success, so neither A nor B are acceptable (except for ethical issues as someone mentioned above).
It's a big misconception in the discipline that "stakeholders engagement" means to bring them in the project to do whatever they want. While we cannot manage stakeholders as we have no authority over them, we can control their engagement to benefit the project, and limit their potential destructive effects.
To do so, we must define specific engagement objectives to channel our activities toward that goal - and this must be done for each stakeholder (at least important ones) or group of stakeholders. We also have to monitor our efficiency in obtaining the desired results, and adjust accordingly.
I'll stop here before this post becomes a full article - check out in the Reference Library https://www.projectmanagement.com/books/42...ders-Engagement for more details on how to bring stakeholders in the desired state (including turning their destructive power in a positive one).
To conclude, both options listed are passive - not a characteristic I would associate with a project manager! Pick up the fight, there is no lost cause - we just need to find the right way to get it done!
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
I would respond in a different manner. I faced a couple of those scenarios recently but not because of Selfish Ambitions, it is because they like to "Play-Builder" in construction so I kept insisting that this doesn't work until I proved the point on grounds.
Like Naomi said, different stakeholders, different expectations, different opinions. You have to deal with it and do what is best for the project to the best you can. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Rami makes the point. You are hired to manage the project. That is your domain of responsibility. You need to put the demands of your project ahead of everything else: your needs or those of the stakeholders.
When someone tries to "force" something, you need to identify and analyze the risk(s) it introduces and make sure you take appropriate and necessary actions. Saving Changes...
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