Establishing the Project Authority

With any project, regardless of the size , the project manager must establish his authority over that project. Authority over the project is not the same as authority over the project team members . You, the project manager, will be responsible for the success of the project, so you need to take charge of the activities to finish the project. In other words, responsibility for the success of the project must have an equal level of authority over the actions to create the deliverables.

Authority and responsibility are bound together in project management. The success of the project rests on the shoulders of the project manager. The project manager s career, opportunity for advancement, and reputation all rest on the ability of the project team to finish the project and create the deliverables. As Figure 11-1 demonstrates , if the project manager does not have the authority to assign tasks to the project team members, how can she ever reach the objectives of the project? The level of authority is relative to the autonomy assigned within your organizational structure. It s not impossible for a project manager to successfully lead a project in a functional or weak matrix environment. The authority of a project manager, in any organizational structure, must be leveraged with the respect of the project team.

Figure 11-1: A project manager must have authority in proportion to responsibility.

Team members, of course, also have a level of responsibility for completing the work, and they have risks involved in the project as well. For example, a team member may be dedicated to the project because he can perceive the personal benefits of working on a successful project. A successful relationship between the team members and the project manager should be symbiotic, as Figure 11-2 depicts.

Figure 11-2: The relationship between the project team and project manager is symbiotic.

Team members must agree that you are the leader of the project and that they will support your decisions, your management of the resources, and your leadership to the deliverables. The project manager, though not the manager of the individual team members, still must exude a level of confidence and authority over the project team to gain their respect and desire to work on the project.

Many IT project managers stem from IT backgrounds. For these individuals to be successful, they must possess the following attributes:

• Organizational skills

• Passion for the team s success

• Passion for the project s success

• Ability to work with people

• Good listening skills

• Ability to be decent and civil

• Ability to act professionally

• Commitment to quality

• Dedication to finish the project