22

Handling Competition with Other Initiatives

EVERY PROJECT MANAGER has probably faced the time when their project was suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by other initiatives going on in the company at the same time. The frustration can mount when your project people are pulled away, causing a slippage in your schedule, and when that same program also diverts attention from your very important work. These circumstances may impact the:

Availability of project team members.

The political climate where all projects live.

Accessibility to other people as the business prepares for the project deliverables.

The sense of being orphaned without management support or even interest can cause severe morale problems. Using your sponsor is a critical success factor in managing the competition from other initiatives.

The good news is that by combining the right engagement with your sponsor and appropriate communications, you can alleviate that situation to keep your project front and center with senior management. And you can minimize the negative influence on your project.

All project managers must adhere to some key principles if they are to be successful in managing internal competition:

1.Maintain situational awareness (defined as the awareness of other initiatives that may create potential conflicts over priorities and resources that impact the success of the project).

2.Plan communications that are horizontal as well as vertical.

3.Address potential conflicts quickly.

Maintain Situational Awareness

Project managers must pay particular attention to other initiatives going on within the business during the project. Many businesses will suffer from “initiative fatigue” because of the large number of projects going on at the same time. And they are very often not linked together very well. As a result, people feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work and changes they are asked to assume.

The other important consideration in awareness is to discuss these types of potential risks when you are meeting with your sponsor on the status of your project. I make it a point of asking my sponsor about particular initiatives that I believe may impact my project—particularly in a negative way.

I am always surprised that my sponsor may be in possession of important information about these other initiatives but does not think to tell me unless I specifically ask. I believe that, because of the large number of responsibilities my sponsor has in running the business, she has just not made the connection until I bring it up.

Also, I make it a point of trying to develop relationships with project managers who are leading these other initiatives. That usually entails inviting them to lunch every month or two to swap stories and chat about issues and get suggestions. However, the main purpose of the lunch, for me, is to find out whether any of these issues are going to affect my project. My attitude is that I cannot expect my sponsor to stay attuned to the interference of other initiatives if I am not doing my part.

I also make sure I am executing my communication plan for senior management. You might well ask, “How can communications help that situation?” In truth, I will not change the situation by communications. However, I can keep my project within senior management’s consciousness by faithfully executing my communications plan, including continually reinforcing the Case for Change. I will also make adjustments to the communication plan when I believe that other initiatives might start to get in the way of my project’s success, particularly as it relates to the schedule.

For example, I had a project to implement a new inventory management system that included making process changes in the shipping department. As you might have guessed, one of the major activities, as we worked to implement the system, required training the people in the shipping department. We had to train them on the new system and the use of the system within the new work processes. While we were executing the plan and preparing for go-live, I had to monitor another project that was under way to expand the shipping facilities. My concern was that training requirements might be related to the new facility as well as to my training on the new system. I collaborated with my sponsor to ensure that I could keep my schedule intact, including the training activity. My concern was that most organizations will not be receptive to taking their key personnel off the job for extended periods of training regardless of the importance and requirements.

In working with my sponsor and other executives, I must understand how the initiatives fit together and whether there are any potential impacts to the critical path for my project and adjust accordingly. This happens very often when the project resource structure has project team members seconded from the business in a matrix structure. The operational responsibilities for these seconded team members will always take precedent over the work they are assigned for the project. Also, the best individuals will often be seconded to more than one initiative because they are the best! You may have to help them manage their bosses. They must balance priorities, and the answer cannot always be that my project is priority number one. If I attempt that strategy, I will lose any credibility with the team members and their supervisors.

In this situation, you may also need the help of your sponsor. If the sponsor does not have line authority over certain key individuals, he will need to negotiate to maintain his level of participation in the project. To do that, you must provide your sponsor with fairly detailed information on the nature of the work and why this individual’s contribution and expertise are so critical to reaching the business goals. Frame the discussion in terms of business goals, not the project needs. The supervisors for these key resources may not feel a strong need to support the project unless they are aware of how their lack of participation hurts the business. This detailed information will also be helpful to your sponsor if he must go over the head of the supervisor and negotiate with another executive.

The key point to bear in mind about [political] influence is that it is often an informal method of power and control. Project managers who use influence well in furthering the goals of their projects usually work behind the scenes, negotiating, cutting deals, or collecting or offering IOUs.

Jeffrey K. Pinto¹

In building your communication plan, always keep in mind the relationships of these multiple layers of leadership and management within the business. That will help you populate some of the sensitivities required, such as initiatives or projects affecting their departments. Also, be sensitive to the boundaries of their authority so that you do not inadvertently communicate in a way that shows you do not understand those boundaries. An example might be to ask a group of managers to manage certain aspects of an initiative or project that is important to your success but that is clearly beyond their ability to actually perform. A mistake like that will cause them to discount any information they receive from you from that point forward. They will be left with the impression, quite rightly, that you don’t understand their situation.

Address Potential Conflicts Quickly

When potential conflicts arise between your project and another one, do not ignore them in the hope they will go away. Also remember to inform your sponsor about the potential conflict—no surprises! As you prepare to address the issue, you have to assess:

Responsibility.

Authority.

Accountability.

Responsibility

You will need to be very clear about who is responsible for the situation and begin the exchange of ideas. This is the person you will need to work with to (hopefully) resolve the situation. Look for the minimum requirements you have for the situation, and be prepared to negotiate within those conditions should the need arise. Be sure to review your assessment of responsibility with the sponsor to ensure they agree you are working the problem correctly.

Authority

In some situations, you will not be able to successfully negotiate a solution and you will need to determine who has the authority to make a decision that both you and the other party can live with after it is made. That is the time to get your sponsor involved and lay out a strategy to resolve the issue at a higher level.

Political Climate

When you are communicating with others about the potential for a negative impact between projects, always consider the political situation before you act. Keep in mind that whether the message is written on paper or as part of an e-mail, it tends to be seen by others for a variety of reasons. Always keep in mind those “secondary readers.”

Secondary readers are people for whom the message was not intended (the primary reader) but who have come into possession of that e-mail and might have a strong response to its content.

How would secondary readers receive the information and react to it? And remember, for situations of a political nature, keep those messages brief and to the point. Be careful and make each message count. If you are ever in doubt about the wisdom of a written note, then do not send it before conferring with your sponsor, if possible. Better to call someone on the telephone or meet in person. A face-to-face meeting allows for plausible deniability.

Most successful business people have a keen sense of what is appropriate when talking to others, but many fail to apply this judgment to their writing. Often their writing is far too stiff and formal or too relaxed and colloquial. For an appropriate tone, you need to monitor two attributes of your writing—the degree of motivation required and level of formality.

Richard Bierck²

Points to Remember

Recognize that your project is not the only initiative going on in the company and that you will need to monitor other initiatives for their impact on your project.

Maintain situational awareness.

Handle conflicts quickly and use techniques as required to address those conflicts.

If you follow the guidelines in this chapter and keep an eye on other projects vying for attention, you will keep your project front and center with senior management, and you will receive the support you need to be successful.