Project Politics

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Project Politics
Would you rather dine
or be someones lunch

• Henry Kerkhoven, PMP

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Project Politics Agenda

• Recognize
• PMBOK knowledge of politics.
• Politics of Stakeholders, Organization,
  Environment
• Avoid Political Mistakes dont
  become lunch
• Politics of Stakeholders, Organization,
  Environment
• Learn to increase Political Skills higher class
  dining
• Politics of Stakeholders, Organization,
  Environment
• Suggested reading

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Recognize Politics
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Recognize PMI PMBOK knowledge of politics
The Project Management Body of
knowledge
Project
Focus of thisProject Politics presentation
Subject Matter Expertise
Stakeholders,Organization, Environment
General Management Knowledge and Practice
Application Area Knowledge and Practice

• PMI PMBOK helps with Project,
• less with Stakeholders, Organization,
  Environment

Adapted from PMI PMBOK Chapter 1
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Recognize - Stakeholders

• Key stakeholders on every project include
• Project Manager team members
• Customer use product multiple layers.
• Sponsor
• Other individuals internal/external, owners,
  funders, sellers, contractors, families, gov.
  agencies, media, citizens, lobbyists, society at
  large.

Source PMI PMBOK Chapter 2
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Recognize Organization

• PMBOK Organizational influences
• Project-based Organizations
• Consult/contracting, architecture/engineer, NGOs
• Organizations that adopt management by project
• Tend to have management systems to facilitate
  project management
• Nonproject-based Organizations
• Often lack management systems to support project
  needs
• May have project-based departments with systems
  to match.
• Organizational Cultures and Styles
• Reflected in shared values, norms, beliefs,
  expectations
• Policies and procedures, authority relationships
• Organizational Structure
• Functional to Projectized, with Matrix in
  between.
• Constrains availability terms of resources to
  the project

Source PMI PMBOK Chapter 2
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What would you recognize?

• What are the political project differences
• private corporation ?
• public corporation ?
• government agency ?

project
Source PMI PMBOK Chapter 2
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Recognize - Socio-Economic-Environment

• PMBOK Socio-Economic-Environment influences
• Standards Regulations
• Internationalization
• Culture
• Sustainability (e.g. environment, historic/legacy)

Source PMI PMBOK Chapter 2
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What would you recognize?

• Say you are joining a company, and recognize you
  are entering a political situation.
• What do you see your first day ?
• What do you hear?
• What does it feel like?
• Whats different between a private corporation, a
  public corporation, government agency ?

Source PMI PMBOK Chapter 2
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Project Management -avoiding Political Mistakes
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Project Management Stakeholders

• Project Manager team members
• PMBOK best practices.
• Customer
• Manage expectations, listen, and lead..
• Sponsor
• Listen, show Benefits, low risk..
• Plan offer alternatives
• Other individuals
• Fit in cultural rules, stand-out, and act as a
  reliable manager who understands their concerns.

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Project Management -Organization

• Organization
• Be careful to always act with respect to
  everyone.
• Project-based Organizations
• Focus on results.
• Nonproject-based Organizations
• Focus on relationship.
• Know which departments have opportunities or
  threatened by the project. Learn how they are
  acting to help or hurt the project.
• Keep project moving forward during re-org.
• Organizational Cultures and Styles
• Craft the project vision to idealize cultural
  values.
• Say often and be visible.
• Organizational Structure
• Decide who are top project decision makers, and
  who are their trusted advisors. Learn how to
  influence them.

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Project Management Socio-Economic-Environment

• Standards Regulations
• Look at Org chart for Standards Gatekeepers.
• Ask how project successfully passes gates.
  Update project work breakdown structure, and
  manage risks.
• Internationalization
• Confirm where project is executed, controlled,
  operated, maintained.
• Where are other stakeholders,
• Culture
• Are other cultures involved? Find out project
  contacts.
• Sustainability (e.g. environmental, legacy)
• Listen for sacred cows, legacy pet applications,
  processes, people.
• Keep quiet and ask sponsor to remove sacred cow
  issues.

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Learn to Increaseyour Political Competency
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Learn Political skills - Stakeholders

• Project Manager team members
• Demonstrate your knowledge of PMBOK best
  practices.
• Learn the natural strengths and weaknesses of
  your colleagues
• Learn to use personality styles to perceive the
  world reach conclusions
• Customer
• Learn to present ideas in ways more likely to
  lead to Yes
• Learn to know what others are really thinking
• Sponsor
• Learn to dissolve communications barriers
• Learn to recognize power games.
• Other individuals
• Learn to control the way others perceive you
• Learn to use personality styles for successful
  interactions.

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How would these Political skills help you ?

• If you could always
• Demonstrate your knowledge of PMBOK best
  practices.
• Know immediate the natural strengths and
  weaknesses of your colleagues
• Know how others perceive the world reach
  conclusions about you and your project
• Know what others are really thinking
• Adjust your own personality style for successful
  interactions.
• Present ideas in ways likely to lead to Yes
• Dissolve communications barriers
• Recognize power games, and win consistently.
• Have power to control the way others perceive you

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Learn Political skills - Organization

• Organization
• Project-based Organizations
• Learn ways to change project organizations
• Nonproject-based Organizations
• Learn rules to get what you want in nonproject
  organizations.
• Organizational Cultures and Styles
• Learn tactics to avoid take advantage of
  mistakes
• Organizational Structure
• Learn who controls what you need and what they
  want from you..

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How would these Political skills help you ?

• If you could always
• Have powerful ways to change project
  organizations
• Get what you want in nonproject organizations.
• Have practical tactics to avoid political
  mistakes
• take advantage of mistakes of others
• Find out who controls what you need
• what they want from you before they ask.

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Learn Political skills Socio-Economic-Environme
nt

• Standards Regulations
• Learn who controls standards regulations, what
  they want from you, and how to succeed.
• Internationalization
• Learn to successfully conduct business on the
  global stage
• Culture
• Learn to understand and cope with the cultural
  dimension of international business
• Sustainability (e.g. environmental, legacy)
• Learn how to use sponsors strength to remove
  sacred cows

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How would these Political skills help you ?

• If you could always
• Know who controls standards regulations
  politically,
• know what they want from you, and how to
  succeed politically.
• Successfully conduct business on the global stage
• Understand and cope with the cultural dimension
  of international business
• Glide around sacred cows (dont step in it)
• use your sponsors strength to remove sacred
  cows

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Suggested Readings for Politics
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Suggested readingsPolitics of Stakeholders

• Myers-Briggs Personality Type
• The Art of Speed Reading PeopleBy Paul D Tieger
  Barbara Barron-Tieger
• Learn to instantly identify the preferred
  communication style of others
• Learn to present ideas in ways more likely to
  lead to Yes
• Learn the natural strengths and weaknesses of
  your colleagues
• Gifts DifferingBy Isabel Briggs-Myers
• Learn to use personality styles to perceive the
  world and reach conclusions
• Learn to use personality styles for successful
  interactions with others.

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Suggested readings Politics of Stakeholders

• Linguistics NLP
• Instant RapportBy Michael Brooks
• Learn to control the way others perceive you
• Learn to dissolve communications barriers
• Learn to alter someones mood and behavior
• Learn to negotiate more effectively
• Learn to advance your career.
• Words that Change MindsBy Shelle Rose Charvet
• Learn to guarantee customer satisfaction
• Learn to dramatically improve results in
  negotiation and litigation
• Learn to take the pain out of implementing
  organizational change.

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Suggested readings Politics of Stakeholders

• Body Language
• The Secret Language of Success
• By David Lewis
• Learn to make a positive impression on others
• Learn to persuade others to adopt your viewpoint
• Learn to communicate your ideas more powerfully
• Learn to know what others are really thinking
• Learn to recognize power games.
• Lions Dont Need to Roar
• By Debra A. Benton
• Learn leadership power of professional presence
• Learn to stand out, fit in and move ahead.

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Suggested readings Politics of Organizations

• Power
• Managing with Power Politics and Influence in
  Organizations
• By Jeffrey Pfeffer (PMI PMBOK chapter 2
  reference)
• Power Politics in Project Management
• By Jeffrey K. PintoLearn who controls what you
  need and what they want from you.

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Suggested readings Politics of Organizations

• Power
• The Ruthless Leader -Three Classics of Strategy
  and Power
• Edited By Alistair McAlpine
• The Prince by Nicolo MachiavelliLearn ways to
  change project organizations
• The Servant by Alistair McAlpineLearn rules to
  get what you want in nonproject organizations.
• The Art of War by Sun TsuLearn tactics to avoid
  take advantage of mistakes
• The 48 Laws of Power
• By Robert Greene
• Learn to never outshine the master
• Learn to court attention at all costs
• Learn to ask for help by appealing to
  self-interest.
• Learn to avoid building fortresses, isolation is
  dangerous

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Suggested readings Politics of
Socio-Economic-Environment

• PMP resource package
• The Cultural Dimension of International Business
• By Gary P. Ferarro
• Learn to understand and cope with the cultural
  dimension of international business
• Doing Business Internationally The Guide to
  Cross-Cultural Success
• By Terence Brake, Danielle Walker, and Thomas
  Walker
• Learn to successfully conduct business on the
  global stage
• Global LiteraciesLessons on Business Leadership
  and National Cultures
• By Robert Rosen (Editor), Patricia Digh, and Carl
  Phillips
• Learn how differences among people, companies
  countries affect strategies.

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Project Politics
You can dine on Project Politics
So dont be someones lunch

• Thank you for attending !
• Henry Kerkhoven, PMP