Lessons Learned


  • Do not attempt to get the absolute best people for the project. There are a number of problems with the “best” people. First, “best” is hard to define. Second, these individuals tend to be difficult to get along with—making the work of the rest of the team more difficult. Third, it is often difficult for someone else to pick up their work if they leave the project. A fourth factor is that they are often in high demand. Thus, it is likely that they will be pulled from your project. However, and a fifth problem, management expectations were likely raised when they were assigned to your project. These expectations have not been diminished because they are no longer on your team.

  • If you need the best people, then only have them for specific tasks. They are part-time team members who do a specific task or set of tasks and then leave. Overall, you want team members who are junior and who have energy and enthusiasm to get ahead. These people tend to be benefited by the project.

  • In every department there are “king bees” and “queen bees” who have extensive business rule knowledge and experience. These individuals wield massive informal power in the department. People in the departments come up to them frequently to ask for assistance and to show their respect. Traditional project management would have you put these people on your team. Avoid it! These people have a vested interest in the status quo. Change to them threatens their power. Moreover, these people will try to take over your project. Hold on, it gets worse. Their absence from the department creates a crisis since they hold in their heads the keys for handling exceptions and coping with workarounds.




International Project Management
International Project Management: Leadership in Complex Environments
ISBN: 0470578823
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 154

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