"We" Project Management

The personal accountability of each team member of a project is a key driver in the overall success of a project. The individual team member is accountable to the others to work in unison toward the delivery of the product or service. While the project manager is accountable for the outcome and sets the tone for that accountability, the team is accountable for the delivery. Every member of the team, from sponsor to developer to customer to tester, has a part to play. Without them working together the success of a project is less than it could be, if it succeeds at all.

When I was first starting to learn to ride I had to be concerned about the basics of motorcycling, I wasn’t able to take on passengers. I had to have a level of trust in my ability to ride before I could take another life into my hands. When I determined that I was a stable and capable motorcyclist, I had to consider the added weight of the passenger on the bike. It changed the dynamics of the ride, the heavier the person the greater the change. When I carry a heavier passenger I have to change the settings of the shocks on the bike. I have to remember that the bike needs more distance to stop and that when stopped holding the bike up takes more energy. I have to realize that turning the bike takes more strength and time and I can be distracted by simply having to be concerned about another persons’ safety.

My daughter loves to ride with me on my motorcycle. We discovered that the vibration, the calm, the scenery tended to put her to sleep. I knew she was drifting off when I felt her lean ever so slightly. When a passenger leans, if they are distracted, tired or trying to help, it could end in an accident. The passenger has to blend in with the bike, to trust the motorcyclist and allow the driver to control all aspects of the motorcycle. The passenger has to ensure that they are not trying to influence the direction of the bike. The motorcyclist is responsible for a smooth ride to help to instill the trust necessary so that the passenger doesn’t feel the need to adjust the ride. Communication is critical, verbal and non-verbal, although actions are much more important than dialogue. Things begin to happen too quickly to discuss what is going to be done or how it is going to be done. The time for that discussion is while you are planning the ride and before you get on the bike.

The passenger must do their part while on the ride. They are accountable for ensuring they follow the motorcyclist’s lead, that they are aware of their surroundings, and that they perform the role that they agreed to when the ride is planned. When the passenger or motorcyclist chooses to behave differently the motorcyclist is accountable for stopping the bike to discuss how the ride must proceed for the motorcyclist and the passenger to arrive safely. That doesn’t mean the driver can simply tell the passenger what to do and how to do it. The driver may be doing something that the passenger is concerned about. They must come to an agreement on how to proceed.

Projects behave in a similar manner if we think of the passenger representing the project team. The project manager must be confident in their ability to initiate, plan and deliver their own work using a standard process before engaging a team of people. Once secure in their ability to deliver they are able to take on leading others through the delivery process, to take on a passenger.

Project dynamics change based on the size of the project team. I define a project team as any stakeholder involved with the project. All too often we describe a project team as those team members who are doing the project delivery work. I would argue that every identified stakeholder has a role on a project and therefore is a member of the project team. Just as in motorcycling a larger team takes more energy from the project manager and the project manager must be aware of their personal limitations. I must admit when the team is too “heavy” for me to handle or too large for the bike (an argument for project phases). I am accountable for holding the team members responsible for their role so it is my responsibility to ensure they know their role prior to executing delivery. It is my responsibility for making sure they can perform their role (my daughter couldn’t, she would fall asleep). If they are not able to do so then a change must be made.

Once the team member has agreed to their role they are accountable for every aspect of that role. They are accountable for executing it to the best of their ability. The team member must notify the project manager if they become concerned about the ride, their ability to perform their role or the ability of the project manager. The team members should not alter their role (the same as leaning) while the project is moving rapidly along. Part of planning a safe ride is to put breaks, places to stop and check progress and ensure that everyone is enjoying the ride. A project should have the same planning for places to stop and take a look at progress and to ensure the team members are enjoying the “ride”.

The “We” in project management is a team accountable for their role, aware that they have a vested interest in the outcome, able to provide the right kind of support to the project manager, able to move in tandem with the project and able to signal when they have concerns. The project manager is still accountable for the delivery of the product or service. Each team member must play their role for the project to end successfully.

A critical component of that relationship is trust, between rider and passenger or project manager and project team. I won’t take my daughter on the motorcycle until I can trust that she can play the right role, she can’t fall asleep and she must move with the bike. As a passenger she won’t ride with me safely unless she trusts my ability to get her wherever we are going safely. That is the level of trust necessary in organizations and in project teams to ensure successful projects.

Ride On, Manage On