Sometimes when there is a trouble maker on the team, we still keep them around for reasons such as: 1. they may be a technical expert and we can't do without them. 2. they have influence or connected to someone with influence. 3. we are coaching them and hope they will change over time etc.
Have you kept such a team member on board despite the issues? Saving Changes...
More often than not, yes. Primarily because they are experts and many times their behaviour has mellowed over time.
There was one occasion when such a person was connected to someone with influence. This person seemed to have issues with me specifically. As a result, I saw my presence on the project as an overriding risk and initiated a hand-over to another PM.
Did you record that as a risk Karan?
...
1 reply by Karan Shah
Apr 05, 2018 2:54 AM
Karan Shah
...
Internally, yes. Externally, no.
The issue was the conflict the difficult resource saw with me; and that this conflict was leading to delays right through the design phase for the area overseen by this resource.
As the resource had a guardian angel in the internal project sponsor, s/he was untouchable. Even explicit requests to this sponsor for intervention (with specific examples of delay attributable to this resource) did not yield any results.
So I recorded my presence as the risk internally and let the sponsor know. And I held on for another month making sure that the project was properly handed over to the incoming PM.
Yes more times than not and for all the reasons you state. Typically, I see it as part of my job to get them in line with the team. I do remember one who was extremely disruptive and abusive that I inherited and had to work to get off the project for the good of the team and who did not really offer value. Looking back, I should have worked with HR on the issues but was too project focused at that time.
Yeah sometimes project focus (which is the priority anyway) limits our options for non-critical factors. Saving Changes...
I suffered before from troublemaker in my projects and they usually like to grow fast and get more power, that when they got power they start to destroy everything with their overconfidence, I promise my self after a while that those kinds of people must be evaluated from the beginning and replace it because their technical experience will not really help o finish the project on time, I really don't have time to solve the problem between him and other team members every single day it will consume you
Even when one of these people stay onboard, it can consume some people if they let it affect them. Saving Changes...
YES, There is one, and he knows that company can't stand without his effort in urgency.
in other hand, overall they are doing a great job and benefit can come from them.
Sounds like he has them by the neck. Saving Changes...
Always Sante
Could you please tell where is that place where we can't see "Jam Roll "
On Saturn? ;-) I was going to say HR, but we both know they are full of jam. Saving Changes...
Emmanuel DaddimaneProject Manager| JP Morgan ChaseNew Bhiwandi, Near Shivaji Stadium, India
Yes Sante, we do come across people with bad influence and it does make an impact on the overall project. Most of the time the skill of the project manager is tested in handling such candidates and to understand weather its an SKILL issue or WILL issue or both. my experience says it is important to evaluate and understand the need of the hour and take appropriate action. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
It almost happened in every project I worked in. There should be always someone who is the devils advocate but despite being disruptive, this same person is usually either very smart or technically very sound so I always try to start with training but if worse comes to worse and his attitude is going to affect the team then no one is sacred.
Works] is 50% Skills & 50% Ethics so if you lack one of those, you won’t survive.
I had a disaster one, which I kept because he was the only one who knew what is going on in that project after I took over this project at a very late stage. He did not even show up on site most of the days. No documentation, scope creep, fights, Wrong reports .....etc you name it.
The worst part, that his brother was one of my good friends from childhood. After the project, I transferred him to the office to keep him under monitoring until he left the company by himself. worst nightmare
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Apr 05, 2018 2:31 AM
Replying to Kevin Drake
...
The worst part, that his brother was one of my good friends from childhood. After the project, I transferred him to the office to keep him under monitoring until he left the company by himself. worst nightmare
Could be conflict of interest too Saving Changes...
Community Champion
