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Managing the Politics and Relationships of Multiple PM Domains

Managing the Politics and Relationships of Multiple PM Domains. Tom Houston, PMP 5 October 2005. Everything that PMI teaches has value and is useful – the “mechanics” of Project Management You can do everything “right” and still: Have Your Contract Cancelled Be Laid Off

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Managing the Politics and Relationships of Multiple PM Domains

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  1. Managing the Politics and Relationships of Multiple PM Domains Tom Houston, PMP 5 October 2005

  2. Everything that PMI teaches has value and is useful – the “mechanics” of Project Management • You can do everything “right” and still: • Have Your Contract Cancelled • Be Laid Off • Have To Find Work Outside of Project Management • Go to Jail (Depending on your role in the organization) • Succeeding as a PM entails more than managing the mechanics of a project

  3. Three Domains(Of Stakeholders) • As a PM, you have to Manage Relationships • These include the expectations, needs and desires of people in three “domains” • Customer • Workers • Corporate Management • Any one of these domains can prevent you from being an effective Project Manager • Beware!! People can and do move from one domain to another

  4. Customer Domain • The Customer Domain includes more than just your “current” customer • It Includes: • All Previous Customers • All Present Customers • All Future Customers

  5. Previous Customers • When checking on the “Quals” of a PM, Customers have a habit of seeking out previous Customers • Previous Satisfied Customers, have a habit of steering work your way • Previous Unsatisfied Customers “warn their friends” • Customers who truly admire your work, can join the “worker” domain, and bring their contacts/contracts • Subcontracting arrangements • Teaming arrangements • Potential new work

  6. Stay in Touch with Past Customers • Drop them emails, stay in touch with what they are doing and what their challenges are • Offer assistance if you have it • Be conscientious of how you treat past customers, and treat them as you would expect to be treated if you were a customer

  7. Present Customers • In Award Fee or “incentive-based” contracts Present Customers have a direct impact on your being able to be effective • Know the expectations of your customer’s boss and their management • Know your customer’s needs and constraints and what they need to “succeed” • You succeed when your Customer succeeds; seldom does it work the other way around for long • See things through your Customer’s eyes

  8. Customers Don’t Need a Reason to Decrement Your Award Fee/Incentive • Even if they are wrong, the legal costs, negotiating costs etc., will likely outweigh any Award Fee recouped – and will cause resentment • Your lifespan as an effective PM could be negatively impacted by those in your “Management” domain

  9. Present Customers are your best reference for Future Work • Annual, Quarterly Past Performance Evaluations • Treat your customer as you would expect to be treated

  10. Future Customers • All Past and Present Customers • All “Potential” Customers in the “Communities” in which your past or present Customers exist • All Subcontractors • Be aware Domain Crossing – your employee/sub today may be your customer or boss tomorrow • Always treat potential future customers as you would expect to be treated

  11. Worker Domain • Dedicated Conscientious Workers are the Biggest Factor in project Success • Delegate Everything – QA Everything; As a PM you are responsible for Managing Human Interaction within and among stakeholders in the domains • Worker Training is Essential – While you should delegate everything, you should personally verify personnel are qualified for their duties and you remain responsible for their output

  12. Workers can include direct report employees, matrixed employees, subcontractors, HR, Finance, and/or anybody you count on to expend effort on your behalf • Worker Recognition is Essential - The PM must make Decisions based on Worker Performance • Cliques; Preference of the Prime over Subs; Failure to apply the “best” resource to the problem, tendency to hide problems, all impinge credibility • The best workers follow the best PMs • This Domain is the most dynamic • Workers will not respect you if you tolerate insubordination, practice favoritism, nepotism etc.

  13. Respect education and those workers who invest in themselves • Do not allow workers to “over-commit themselves” or be responsible personally for financial obligations of the project • There is no such thing as “Too Much Documentation” • Conceive of the Ideal Project Manager from the Worker viewpoint – and become them • Treat your workers fairly, as you would expect to be treated

  14. Management Domain • Management has: • Revenue and profit goals for your project • Expectations of Contract Growth • Inter-company relationships impact how Managers evaluate your effectiveness • Legal Proceedings – EEOC, wrongful hire/termination, contract violations – your conduct during these events impact Management’s view of your ability to manage projects

  15. Your Overall Personnel “quality” • Training, dependability, commitment, dedication or your staff • Are they the first ones in and last to leave, or last to leave and first ones out? • As a PM, you are beyond being evaluated based on your own traits – you will be evaluated based on the traits of your staff and project; what “culture” do you inspire? • Workers you attract/repel • Customers you attract/repel • Personnel recognition and treatment

  16. Utilization of Corporate Resources, overhead, discretionary profit • Accurate (honest) Reporting • Know your boss’ goals, and their boss’ boss’s, goals • Ability to differentiate between successful short term vs. Long term strategies • Conceive of the “Ideal” subordinate Project Manager – and become them • Be the kind of Project Manager you would want working for you

  17. Managing These Domains • In Dealing With These Domains, you must be aware of: • How you are perceived in all three domains • Exactly what your responsibilities are, and understand your realistic “sphere of influence” and types of authority you have • Exactly what everybody else is responsible for • Manage Interaction in and between these domains

  18. You must be seen by all three domains as: • Having Integrity • Being Honest • Treating All People Fairly • No “favors” that would harm another (tolerating unqualified workers, undeserving awards, etc.) • Select vocabulary and phraseology very carefully – semantics matter • Temper

  19. Only use authority to constrain the “sphere” of another when absolutely necessary • “Lead” them to mutually beneficial solutions • Treat people in all three domains as “Teammates” – Your Success is dependent on ALL the stakeholders • Be aware of those who “change domains” and realize these people can present both risks and opportunities • It is a small world – having treated people with respect and fairness decades ago can result in personal loyalty forever

  20. The “Take Away” is: Successful Project Managers follow the Golden Rule Treat Others (Customers, Workers, and Management) as You Would Expect to be Treated

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