Who Are The Players?

Who Are The Players?

"This would be a great project," goes a frequent lament, "if it weren't for the users." Or, "The politics of this project are murder."

Project staff yearn for the golden project where the users are compliant, technical recommendations rule, and "politics" does not exist. Like the Holy Grail or the Fountain of Youth, this is a myth. Given enough time, it may become equally enduring.

Politics vs. Sociology

There is a difference between politics and sociology. "Politics" refers to the sneaky, underhanded, double-dealing, two-faced, sycophantic, bootlicking, backstabbing behavior that the word usually implies. "Sociology" refers to the normal, honest, strongly held differences of opinion that emerge when more than one knowledgeable person is involved. Few projects have politics; all have sociology.

To view a conflict or unpleasantness as political is to ascribe malevolence to the people involved: The perpetrators are endangering the project for personal gain. But to interpret the same situation as sociological is to recognize that different people can reach different conclusions, yet share goals and concerns. Clearly, the second view is more likely to lead to discussion, clarification, negotiation, and resolution. Whenever anyone in a project utters the word politics, repeat the statement using sociology instead. There is no surer way to prevent hardening of attitudes.

However, politics, in its most vicious form, does exist. The second best defense against it is to document everything, get signatures for all decisions, keep a daily diary of project events, log all phone calls you make and faxes you send (keep the fax logs), and, as a strategy, act like an attorney facing hostile opposition.

The best defense is to find another project.

Identifying the Players

To lead the participants in a project effectively, you must understand who they are and what their attitudes are toward the project. Specifically:

Who are the project champions? Which people have backed the project from the start and are enthusiastic about completing it? Why are they enthusiastic?

Who are the project detractors, those who have fought against or opposed the project? Why are they opposed?

Who are the project agnostics, those who have no strong convictions and can be swayed either way? What sways them?

Who will appear to win if the project succeeds? Who will really win?

Who will appear to lose if the project succeeds? Who will really lose?

The Executive Sponsor

The executive sponsor is a member of senior management who is committed to the project and who has enough clout to say to a panicking board of directors, ''Get your hands off my project." The sponsor is not involved in the details and may even be invisible to the project team, but any project that does not have a sponsor is at risk.

The executive sponsor's second role occurs at the end of the project. When users stall, delay, and frustrate all attempts to implement the new system, the sponsor has the authority to ensure compliance, if not cooperation.

Find out who the executive sponsor is and provide brief, highlevel status reports. The sponsor will appreciate the information and will be in a better position to fight for the project if necessary.

The Steering Committee

The project steering committee, which should consist of senior client management, is not a problem-solving forum or a place for a discussion of detailed issues. Its job is to enforce, from the client's point of view, the project terms of reference. The steering committee will also approve (or deny) requests for additional resources or changes in the scope or schedule.

A steering committee becomes a nuisance when it insists on dabbling in day-to-day issues. If it debates, for example, whether the identification code should be fifteen or sixteen digits long, it is no longer a steering committee, it is a user group. The problem is that the real user group will hesitate to make decisions because it will be overridden by its members' bosses on the steering committee, and the project will grind to a halt.

To allow the steering committee to focus on its job, take control of the meetings. Prepare the agenda, guide the discussions, and deflect any attempt to discuss details. (The latter can be done politely by saying, "Clearly, you have some concerns about this issue that I think we need to discuss in detail. When can we get together?" The phrase "discuss in detail" will be enough to send most of the other committee members mentally heading for the exits.)

This does not mean that steering committee members are dummies who have no special knowledge that would help the project. The reverse is probably true, and those who want to participate at a more detailed level should be allowed to do so. But keep the roles separate. No steering committee member, acting as a steering committee member, should be concerned with details.

The User Group

The user group is the set of people who will be responsible for the day-to-day details and decisions in the project. In the best user groups, one person has the authority to make decisions and the willingness to do so in the face of opposition. In the worst, "democracy" prevails and nobody is prepared to make a decision. Schedule plenty of time for meetings.

Regardless of the type of user group, when you need a decision, make sure to document the issues clearly and with alternatives. Distribute the documentation before the meeting, and ensure that nobody leaves the room until a decision is reached. (One project manager used to schedule such meetings for Fridays at 3:00 P.M. His track record in getting fast consensus was admirable.)

The Client Project Manager

The client project manager is a senior member of the client's user group who is the primary contact between you and the client organization. The client project manager should have the authority to approve deliverables or to resolve issues. This role on your project is critical. Ensure that it is filled, formally or otherwise.

What If?

The Client Does Not Appoint an Executive Sponsor, or Appoints One Who is Not Senior.

The project will have nobody looking out for it at senior levels, which means that it is vulnerable to cost cutting or changing priorities, and will have a hard time competing with other projects for scarce resources.

Actions

Forestall this. When you request an executive sponsor at the start of the project, identify the seniority you require ("This person should be at least a vice president who wants to see the project succeed"). This makes it easier to object when the client proposes a middle manager.

When you do object, do not annoy the sponsor proposed by the client or you will have real problems. Say something like, "Fred's good, but as we discussed, I also need someone at the vice president level to be a project advocate. Who would you suggest?"

The Client Does Not Appoint a Steering Committee.

Major decisions, particularly those that affect such matters as the budget, resources, or scope of the project, will be almost impossible to get. You will spend large amounts of time shuffling from manager to manager, hearing comments such as, "Your recommendation sounds OK to me, but I don't have the authority to approve it by myself."

Actions

Identify a group of client people who you think should be on the steering committee, then call a meeting to discuss a number of issues for which you need them all present.

After the meeting, state your intention to gather them together again when issues arise in the future. You are, of course, setting up an informal steering committee, which will never be called that, but which will have the collective authority to make the decisions you need.

The Client Does Not Appoint a Client Project Manager.

There will be no single person to whom you can report or with whom you can discuss issues. In addition, all client detailed work, such as arranging meetings, distributing deliverables for review, or steering you through the client organization, will fall on your shoulders.

Actions

Point out that this is a critical position and that if it is left unfilled, there will be significant risks and extra effort will be imposed on the project.

In your estimate, add time and costs for client project management. Inform the client that if you must accept these responsibilities, the costs     and schedule will be affected. If you are external to the client organization, you can also point out that one of its people can do the job more efficiently than you.

The Steering Committee Insists On Overturning User Group Decisions.

Steering committee meetings will be lengthy, frequent, and acrimonious because of the level of business detail, and the real user group will gradually withdraw from the project.

Actions

Take tighter control of the meeting agenda, which should be restricted to project status and terms of reference issues. Challenge any digressions into business details as being outside the scope of the meeting. Caution: This will not deter everyone.

You may be tempted to ask the more detail-oriented members of the steering committee to join the user group. Avoid this. First, they will probably decline because they are busy. Second, if they do accept, the dynamics of the user group will be upset by the presence of one or more of the bosses.

Assuming that you have clearly established how the project will be conducted (see "Defining the Scope" and "Review and Approval" in Chapter 3), the steering committee interference will be a departure from your approved structure. Approach the committee with a scope change request (see "Managing Scope Changes'' in Chapter 5) based on the additional effort needed to accommodate committee involvement.

Take extra steps to involve the user group. Make sure they are copied on all memos that deal with details, and forward all steering committee decisions to them. If you should ever imply through your behavior or comments that they are extraneous to the project, they will voluntarily become so, and you will lose any enthusiasm for the project at the working level.

You Encounter Abusive or Surly Client Representatives.

Not only will your life be unpleasant through having to deal with these people, but the project will suffer because you will tend to avoid them, affecting the quality of any information or decisions for which they are responsible.

Actions

Recognize that you are not required to tolerate abusive behavior, even from senior clients.

If abusive attitudes are the norm for the client organization, you will not be able to find any relief. Whether you stay or go will be a personal decision, but if you decide to leave, make sure that everyone understands your reasons.

If the abuse is confined to one or two people, take strong action to stop it. For example, if, in a meeting, the person yells or slams things on the table, stand up, announce calmly that the meeting is over until people can behave reasonably, and leave. Rebook the meeting for the following week. If you are in a private or small-group conversation when the abuse occurs, inform the person that you are neither required nor willing to take abuse and that the discussion is over.

If the objectionable person apologizes, accept the apology. He or she could have been having a bad day.