Project Managers As Pollinating Bees: Creating a Sense of Belonging Among Project Team Members

Just as politicians pay close attention and respond to the opinions of constituents, so must project managers when leading a project. Project politics is about getting collective action from a group of people who may have very different interests. Because team member opinions vary regarding the technical approach, structure, content, and outcome of the project, project managers may spend much more time communicating with team members than actually doing the work of the project! The key to achieving collective action and creating a sense of belonging among team members is to engage them in playing an active role throughout the project process.

Team members’ opinions come with a host of beliefs, biases, attitudes, and positions. Gaining insight into their Perception/Understanding is the first step in moving toward engaging them. Spending time with team members, asking them questions, listening to their thoughts and experiences, and getting their perspective creates the opportunity to deepen their commitment and sense of belonging. It’s also important for project managers to understand that emotions and thoughts are close, interactive partners that need care and feeding throughout the project for team members to feel they are part of the process.

Perception/Understanding is a component of The Exchange with team members. Prior to The Exchange, project managers must carefully consider what needs to be accomplished to have time together considered well spent and what the respective roles should be during The Exchange. Whether engaging team members to participate in solving a problem, giving advice, determining project direction, or brainstorming an approach, the following are simple active listening and problem resolution steps to use during The Exchange that will give team members a deeper sense of belonging:

• Listen and probe with objective, reflective, and interpretive questions; paraphrase for clarity.
• Establish mutual agreement on the issue/opportunity.
• Work together to identify a solution.
• Determine the steps needed to implement the solution.

For the first two steps to be effective, team members and project managers must commit to Follow-through on the solution identified during The Exchange, but it goes beyond just acting on the solution selected during The Exchange. It requires that in addition to Follow-through project managers and team members assume responsibility for informational needs, make adjustments in style to communicate in a manner that can best be heard, and provide purpose when giving direction. It’s also important to remember holding someone else accountable requires being accountable, which means doing what you say you’re going to do.

Working to gain team members’ Perception/Understanding, using the steps of The Exchange, and practicing Follow-through create a sense of belonging, which supports the team acting in a collective manner. It’s been said that people own what they help to create, and that means actively engaging team members at regular intervals to provide input and perspective. Consensus won’t always be achieved but if these steps are observed, a project team culture of belonging will be felt within the team and visible to project stakeholders.

Digging Your Well Before You Are Thirsty: Building relationships with key departments within an organization

There probably isn’t another word in any language more vilified than the word “politics.” Simply saying the word evokes such a visceral response that one might be inclined to request excusal to recover! Churning of stomachs, gnashing of teeth, and rolling of eyes quickly communicate a united position on the matter.

While that ubiquitous response isn’t always unfounded given the slights (and stabs) commonly associated with it, politics deserves another look, a fresher definition that reveals its usefulness in accomplishing objectives. It’s time for a little re-branding that permits politics to cast off its antagonist image and realize asset status in creating VALUE in project work.

One definition that repositions politics as a protagonist says it’s about getting people with different interests moving in a common direction. When thinking about the effort behind actualizing project objectives, it’s clear formal and informal networks must be used to get work done. It’s no easy feat to get individuals and groups with disparate goals working collectively. It requires patience, organizational awareness, and a broad, deep network of relationships.

Although a project is defined by the Project Management Institute as “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service,” the net effect is somewhere someone is going to have to do something different, which results in needing an army standing in the ready to help make the change happen.

For project-driven change to occur it needs cultivated, fertile ground and a deep well of resources, but creating that doesn’t happen overnight. While building relationships cross-functionally is a great lateral first step to cultivation, it’s the caring and feeding of those relationships that sustain and maximize the effort and provide a deep well of resources when needed. There is no single method available to do this because people are involved and people have different values and needs.

Digging that deep well of resources is an operational activity, which should not occur only in conjunction with when something is needed from someone. It’s this first person, “I” position that triggers the churning of stomachs, gnashing of teeth, and rolling of eyes and leaves the area littered with pardons begged and excuses made. This is just one example of the behavior that destined “politics” to be cast as the villain in organizations.

And this prompts the following question: how does one dig that well and then care and maintain it so the invaluable resources it contains are available when needed? Well, it starts with creating a little VALUE, which acronym that means the following:

Visibility – Ask questions; be curious about people. Adapt your style to the style of others.
Availability – Stop multi-tasking and be present for others. Put the “crackberry” down!
Lead by Example – Do what you say you’re going to do. Treat others how you like to be treated.
Understanding – Show empathy for constraints. Lend a helping hand.
Embracement – Create ownership by hearing and incorporating their ideas.

It’s through VALUE that politics can assume a position of asset instead of liability. Now, go create some VALUE!

Project Managers as Change Agents

Getting stakeholders aligned with and excited about the project vision can be challenging, and creating the stakeholder ownership needed to make the project happen takes time and consideration. It’s rare that stakeholders embrace the project vision with the same enthusiasm as the people who created the original concept but it’s not impossible. With tools, techniques, and some patience and understanding, a project manager can create a compelling story or picture of why the project is important to the business and what it will produce.

The completion of a project usually guarantees that someone somewhere is going to have to do something different from what they’ve done previously, which means a change is going to occur. Historically, stakeholders are slow to warm to change, and it’s crucial to understand that when leading a project, project managers are leading change.

When understanding of the problem or opportunity to be addressed by the project, sense of purpose for the effort, and indicators of success are not clearly understood among stakeholders, considerable time and energy can be wasted. This can result in personality conflicts that are actually unresolved conflicts over what is supposed to be accomplished. Using the following tips can help stakeholders feel less resistant to the change and create understanding and purpose quickly.

Use a simple process to promote quick understanding and purpose
When meeting with stakeholders, start with the problem or opportunity that created the need for the project: create context for the current state. Help stakeholders see the advantage to the business to leverage the opportunity or to address the problem through exploring the conditions that generated it. The story about the business situation and ensuing change should light up the hearts of the people who will work on and pay for the project.

Use tools to facilitate involvement and ownership to the outcome
Involve stakeholders throughout the project using group facilitation tools. Use the tools with stakeholders to help align their assumptions and create the story about the change the project will create. Doing this well throughout the project will build clarity and commitment among stakeholders and will create an agreement that can serve as a “stake in the ground” or common reference point when disagreements crop up.

Effect change by generating awareness: Ignorance is not necessarily bliss!
When leading a change, it’s important to involve the right people at the right time. Determine the best tools and methods for identifying when to involve stakeholders and how much to involve them. Understand and manage stakeholder expectations by determining if the project objectives are in conflict with stakeholder objectives. Get on the same page with nomenclature and acronyms -- inconsistencies with these are a time killer and generate frustration for all involved.

Being a change agent involves helping stakeholders see the strategic value of the project. It’s getting them involved early and often and using tools to get them engaged, ensure expectations are aligned, and commitment and ownership are realized throughout the project.