7.1 Rules of Engagement

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7.1 Rules of Engagement

We have all seen political managers - those who take credit for project victories nearly as quickly as they assign blame elsewhere when the news is bad. Another profile worthy of mention in this regard is the "by the book" project manager who is well versed in our methodologies but, in truth, adds little more value than the political type. In the grand scheme of things, the project manager has enough power and skill to add tremendous value to the process. [1] Rule number one in this regard is that those project managers who fail to actively contribute to the daily struggle inculcating projects will likely be labeled irrelevant by stakeholders, including customers and beneficiaries. Once so designated, a project manager will be ignored, misled, or manipulated by agendas not necessarily aligned with the project.

If you are not seen as an effective manager, you will find yourself out of the loop. People will avoid you or say anything to keep you at arms length. Then, you will find it difficult, if not impossible, to really understand what is going on. In this very real and common scenario, control of the project has been wrested from you and, in most cases, the project will drift aimlessly, or even worse, start heading down the tubes. Guess who gets the credit for that state of affairs?

So, instead of worrying about how to manage your project by fiat, understand that you must be seen as a relevant and contributing team member. Once you have earned that level of respect, you will be able to enjoy open conversations with team leads that will help you understand the true project status. Those who provide status need to trust you. They may have reason not to, either because they have been burned by other project managers or they have not made up their minds about you just yet. If you earn their respect, trust will come along with it and the right information will flow to you when you need it.

With that comes a responsibility, too. If a team lead is struggling with his or her team, technology, or even management, there is a likely consequence that the timeliness or quality of his or her work is not in line with project expectations. As project manager, you have to be careful about how you publicize this information, and you undoubtedly need to help this poor soul in some way. Let us examine this leadership opportunity in more detail.

[1]Refer to subsequent chapters on team management and senior management for exceptions.



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Complex IT project management(c) 16 steps to success
Complex IT Project Management: 16 Steps to Success
ISBN: 0849319323
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 231
Authors: Peter Schulte

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