Managing Project Stakeholders

Building a Foundation to Achieve Project Goals

Tres Roeder

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781118504260
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Project Management
• Index: Business

The keys to project management success delivered by one of the world's most respected experts in the field

Why do some project managers achieve their project goals while others fail? Drawing on his years of experience as a recognized global expert on project management and organizational change, author Tres Roeder answers that question, and lays out a proven path to project success.

Focusing on the major differences between project management and other types of management—not least of them being the temporary nature of projects versus the repetitive nature of most managerial tasks—Roeder describes best practices in all key areas of managing project stakeholders.

• A recognized global expert on project management provides the foundational elements required for project management success
• Contributes toward the fulfillment of the continuing education required every three years to maintain PMP® accreditation
• Uses real-world scenarios and relevant case studies to present project management concepts to beginning and intermediate PMP®s
• Contains chapters on Leadership, Buy In, and Negotiation for more advanced project managers

(PMP and Project Management Professional are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

Section Four
General Stakeholder Management Skills

Section Four provides a portfolio of general management skills the project manager can deploy in all kinds of situations. The section is divided into three chapters: Leadership, Buy-In, and Negotiation.

Chapter 10, Leadership, begins with the premise that all project managers are leaders. Project stakeholders look to the project manager to provide guidance and direction. Chapter 10 provides a situational leadership framework based on A Sixth Sense for Project Management^®.

Chapter 11, Buy-In, offers a three-step process to gain support. Project stakeholders have a variety of perspectives, attitudes, and beliefs. The Buy-In chapter contains a powerful framework that is adaptable to earn the support of each project stakeholder.

Chapter 12, Negotiation, provides 10 high-impact tips the savvy project manager will deploy to succeed in project negotiations. Projects are a constant negotiation, whether about resources for the project, the time line, or the scope. In this chapter project managers learn how to get what they need for project success.

Chapter Ten
Leadership

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.

Nelson Mandela

Project managers are leaders. In this chapter we discuss the role of the project manager as leader. Specifically, we focus on the project manager’s role leading stakeholders. As discussed in prior chapters of this book there are many different types of stakeholders. Therefore, there is not one leadership approach that is equally effective for all stakeholders. Successful project managers must develop and apply a variety of leadership styles. In this chapter we discuss the different leadership styles a project manager can employ and when to use each style.

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Project Leaders

Managers in a Fortune 500 company meet to discuss the role of project management in their organization. Historically, the function of project management had been embedded across other responsibilities. For example, a full-time engineer might also serve as a project manager. The leadership team is discussing whether to create a separate role that is entirely dedicated to project management.

In the middle of the conversation, one of the managers says, “We do not need project managers. What we need are project leaders.”

The manager’s point is that the organization does not need a person focused only on milestones, tasks, and “to do” lists. What the organization needs is an individual willing and able to take responsibility for project results and delivery of outcomes.

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A Sixth Sense for Project Management^®

A Sixth Sense for Project Management^® is a portfolio of six disciplines developed over a two-and-a-half-year process. The six disciplines create the underlying framework for the leadership model discussed in this chapter. The six disciplines are the result of input, conversation, and insights gained from a broad variety of sources.

Inputs into the six disciplines of A Sixth Sense for Project Management^® include:

• Project manager surveys.
• Scientific research and related articles.
• Scientific and project management conferences.
• Extensive discussions with professional project managers.
• Consultations with various additional subject matter experts.

Information from these inputs was streamlined into the six disciplines,¹ shown in Figure 10.1.

Figure 10.1 Six Disciplines of A Sixth Sense for Project Management

Source: A Sixth Sense for Project Management^®. © 2009 Roeder Consulting.

A detailed discussion of each of these disciplines can be found in the author’s book A Sixth Sense for Project Management.

Project Managers Are Leaders

Project managers should take responsibility for organizational results. This requires leadership. Increasingly, organizations expect their project managers to understand the big-picture organizational context of their projects and guide the project team to an outcome that helps further the organization’s goals. This journey is not a straight line. It requires project managers to develop a robust interpersonal skill set to complement their technical project management skills and business acumen. Organizations expect project managers to deliver results, and this requires more from the project manager than only tracking time lines and budgets. It requires leadership.

Project Managers Must Deliver Results

Project managers are responsible for delivering project results. The project manager’s leadership, depending on the project or situation, is called upon to manage and control stakeholders, scope, budget, time lines, and the like. Others in the organization look to the project manager to provide direction. This is reasonable because the project manager is often the most knowledgeable person in regard to the projects.

Table 10.1 shows that projects require leadership. All of the situations listed in the table occur in a project environment. For example, there is uncertainty in a project environment. In uncertain times, people seek someone who can provide a path to clarity. The project manager can, and should, be the person to provide clarity to the team on how to implement the project. The executive sponsor may provide the overall vision and direction. The project manager, however, provides the day-to-day direction, motivation, and encouragement.

Table 10.1 Projects Require Leadership

Leadership Is Required When . . .	Do Projects Typically Include This Element?
People are unsure what to do.	Yes
There are different viewpoints.	Yes
A result must be delivered.	Yes
People have to work together.	Yes

Most Project Managers Do Not Have Direct Authority

Research shows that most project managers do not have stakeholders directly reporting to them. Project team members are more likely to have a formal reporting relationship to a manager or supervisor outside of the project team. This outside manager or supervisor will control the project team member’s formal performance review, job assignments, compensation adjustments, and so forth.

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Project Managers Must Work through Other People

Data from a series of global webinars, representing over 1,000 project managers and change leaders from more than 40 countries, show that the overwhelming majority do not have any stakeholders reporting directly to them.

Webinar participants were asked to identify all of the stakeholders in their projects—the project team, the executive sponsor, the end users of project outcomes, and so on. Then they were asked the following question: Do any of your project stakeholders report directly to you? The chart shows their responses.

The data in Figure 10.2 show that most project managers and change leaders do not have direct reports. Therefore, the project manager must find ways to deliver results without having the benefit of formal position authority. The project manager must work through other people.

Figure 10.2 Percentage of Project Managers and Change Leaders with Direct Reports

Source: Roeder Consulting webinar polling data. © 2012 Roeder Consulting.

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Project team members, however, may have an informal or dotted-line reporting relationship with the project manager. In a dotted-line reporting relationship the project manager guides the team member’s activities only as related to the project. The project manager may have input into the team member’s formal perfo...