CHAPTER 6
Stress Management for the Project Manager
What causes stress for you as a project manager?
What do you notice when you answer this question? Maybe an event begins to surface from your memory, something that was upsetting for you. Possibly a feeling begins to emerge, such as anger or anxiety. As you become aware of how you are answering these questions for yourself, consider these “truths” about stress:
• What is stressful for you is not necessarily stressful for someone else.
• Stress is neither good nor bad; all events that are perceived as stressful can have positive components.
The best approach to handling stress is to develop a strong sense of self-knowledge of your personal style, your own sources of stress, and your most adaptive methods for reducing stress.
INHERENT SOURCES OF STRESS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
A number of basic project management characteristics create a stressful work environment for the project manager. These include the intrinsic stress of being a leader, the matrix management style of leading, the challenge of solving singular problems, and project ramp-up and ramp-down (see Table 6-1).
Table 6-1. Inherent Stress in Project Management
Intrinsic Stress of Being a Leader
A project manager faces two types of inherent stressors in the role of leader:
• The pressure to create a culture or “container” in which the team functions
• The tendency for team members to “project” numerous feelings, motives, and attributes on the team leader.
The notion of a leader creating a culture or a container for the team suggests that the leader must expend personal energy and resources to create an atmosphere in which the team will operate successfully. This container for the team does not simply happen; the project leader must strive on a personal level to create the “glue” that holds the team together. This glue consists of team-building efforts that the leader offers to meld the individuals into a unit. Individuals do not coalesce into a team without the leader exerting personal energy to create a bond within the group.
A project manager is applying the glue to bring the team together when he or she:
• Stays late on a Friday afternoon to meet with team members to help them work through a personal disagreement
• Publicly acknowledges the hard work and achievements demonstrated by all team members
• Finds the personal strength to motivate the team after a frustrating period of project delays and setbacks.
The project manager should remember that these efforts require physical, emotional, and intellectual energies. Do not overextend yourself by trying to develop the team culture solely on your own. Enlist team members to display actions and behaviors that help create the glue that bonds the team together.
The second general component of leadership that can prove stressful for the project manager is when team members “project” feelings, attributes, or beliefs on the project manager. In effect, team members are making assumptions that the project manager has certain qualities—either positive or negative.
Project managers enjoy being the recipient of projections that are positive, such as when a team member projects the belief that the team leader is a fair person, possibly because the team leader physically resembles a “fair” person from the team member’s past.
Stress, however, occurs for the project manager when team member projections are negative in tone, such as when a team member attributes bad motives to the project leader because the leader reminds him or her of a previous manager with whom he or she had a conflictual relationship.
Examples of problematic projections that team members may direct toward the project manager include:
• Treating him or her as a “parent” (which may have a positive or negative tone)
• Making assumptions about his or her attributes based on gender, race, religion, or age.
If the project manager believes that he or she is the recipient of inaccurate projections from a team member, it is helpful to:
• Schedule time to speak privately with the team member, gently exploring his or her perceptions of you without immediately challenging his or her observations
• Attempt to redefine for them who you are as a person, telling your team about your management style, your beliefs, and how you like to operate.
Matrix Management
Many projects are staffed with individuals who are on loan to the project from other functional areas within the organization. This is the core of matrix management. The project manager may encounter a number of issues and events arising from matrix systems that will be stressful. The biggest challenge for the project manager is influencing people to get the job done while knowing that the working relationship is temporary, lasting only for the duration of the project.
Because the project manager within a matrix system must use influence to obtain results, he or she may experience a feeling of powerlessness when the influencing behavior fails to work. Project managers often report that this feeling of helplessness accounts for a tremendous amount of stress in leading projects.
During situations in which a project manager experiences these feelings of helplessness, stress quickly develops. Internal pressure mounts, and if the experience of helplessness continues unchecked, the project leader loses motivation and initiative.
Some thoughts to keep in mind when trying to manage the risk of stress in matrix systems are:
• Matrix organizations are known for their ability to create a sense of powerlessness, even for the best managers. Do not take the situation personally.
• When “influencing” is not effective, use more subtle forms of personal empowerment, such as making arguments that appeal to the self-interests of the various stakeholders.
Solving Singular Problems
Each project is unique. This quality of singular problem solving represents both the best and the worst of project work. When this characteristic operates in a positive manner, the benefit is that team members get a chance to work on something new and different, unlike anything they have done in the past.
However, solving singular problems can also pose many stressful challenges for the project manager. By definition, the team members have never faced this problem, so there may be no readily available solutions, software, or technology to apply to building the finished product. Everything has to be invented, from the conceptualization and design of the solution to the manufacture of the tools for doing the work.
All these factors place great demands on the project leader. Team members are looking for direction and support and may need guidance on how best to proceed. Emotions of team members may be running high, with people feeling anxious and uncertain, not wanting to take a step and risk making a mistake.
Project managers can handle the stress that comes from solving singular problems by considering the following suggestions:
• Keep motivated by focusing on the positive aspects (e.g., novelty, challenge) of solving a problem for the first time.
• Remember that it is understandable to feel uncomfortable when attempting something new. Avoid self-critical comments such as, “There must be something wrong with me because I can’t figure out how to get this solution started.”
• Stay in touch with other professionals to determine whether they may be able to suggest problem-solving approaches that may not have been considered.
Project Ramp-Up and Ramp-Down
The periods of project ramp-up and ramp-down can cause pressure and stress for the project manager.
Some individuals react more positively than others to the emotional and physiological ramping up at the start of a project. In fact, some people thrive in these settings, enjoying the rush of energy and the exhilaration that come from starting something new and demanding. These individuals may be referred to as sensation-seeking people who need to have their physical and emotional systems regularly exposed to this type of emotional and physiological activation. During these periods of arousal, sensation-seeking people feel more alive and creative and are often operating in their most positive mood state.
However, not everyone is a sensation-seeking individual, and project managers should not underestimate the demands that ramping up and ramping down can have on the emotional and physiological well-being of their team members as well as themselves. This cycle is demanding and requires that the individual operate in an environment that is intense and constantly changing.
Project managers who repeatedly experience discomfort during this cycle need to take a serious look at whether the role of project manager is the most appropriate one for them to play. Some people, regardless of length of service and best intentions, do not function well as leaders during these demanding periods. For these individuals, taking another role on the team may be a healthier career decision.
Project managers can attempt to take care of their emotional and physiological reactions during project ramp-up by considering these ideas:
• Place avocational pursuits “off to the side” during this period.
• Take each step of the ramp-up process one at a time. Stress and discomfort increase when the project manager creates anticipatory anxiety, which is caused by excessive focus on future events over which one has little current control.
During project ramp-down, the project manager can manage personal stress by remembering that:
• “Endings” involve a sense of loss and frequently a melancholy mood, even when the ending brings great success and achievement. Occasionally, team members may find it difficult to complete the project and finish all the necessary closeout tasks.
• Endings also involve saying good-bye to team members, which can cause natural but unexpected sadness.
• As ramping-down is concluding, it is crucial to take stock of how one is feeling emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Some recharging of the batteries may be necessary, such as a weekend away or time with friends.
Remember, the savvy project manager has a strong self-awareness of how he or she functions during the ramp-up and ramp-down stages and crafts coping strategies to address individual problems that may surface at both ends of the cycle.
PROJECT MANAGER STRESS CAUSED BY DYSFUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Organizations operating in dysfunctional ways create stress for the project manager. “Dysfunctional” refers to organizations in which formal or informal processes and culture operate in ways that are not healthy or conducive to a positive work atmosphere. Too frequently, the project manager working in a dysfunctional system becomes a lightning rod for all that is wrong with the organization simply because of the project manager’s prominence at the center of the action.
Three key dysfunctional organizational attributes that can cause significant levels of stress for the project manager are: lack of organizational congruence, treatment of people as objects, and dysfunctional leadership at senior management levels.
Lack of Organizational Congruence
Organizations and leaders should demonstrate congruence between spoken or written words and actions. This is “walking the talk.” When people or organizations say one thing but do another thing, this lack of congruence heightens the stress level for stakeholders.
A lack of organizational congruence is more than simply a nuisance for team members and project leaders. People who are repeatedly exposed to situations in which a lack of congruence exists frequently display a variety of troublesome symptoms and reactions. For example, when people notice that organizational words and actions do not match, they are often puzzled, saying, in effect, “Am I wrong in my perceptions or is the company wrong?” Self doubt is created, and this self doubt can begin a spiraling process in which the person loses motivation and develops a chronic level of distrust or cynicism.
A situation involving a lack of organizational congruence is a “no-win” situation for the project manager, given that a single project manager is unable to change the culture of an organization. Many project managers experience high levels of stress when faced with this no-win prospect. The best way to avoid too much personal stress in these situations is to seek a middle ground that acknowledges the team members’ perceptions about the organizational lack of congruence without getting stuck in too much negativity. A statement that reflects this middle ground is:
“Like you, I also perceive that the company may not be walking the talk on this issue. Let’s not spend too much time trying to understand where senior management stands on this issue. Instead, let’s focus on what we can do on our level to resolve the contradictions in a way that allows us to go forward and feel as positive and productive as we can about the project.”
The tone of this message validates the perceptions of the team member in a manner that is forthright without slipping into company “bashing.”
To manage personal stress in situations involving an organizational lack of congruence, the project manager should:
• Be realistic about what can and cannot be done to correct the situation
• Intently focus the team on what can be done on the team level to resolve the discrepancies and keep the project moving forward in a positive manner.
Project managers can get mired in attempting to “right the wrongs” of the organization. Excessive project manager stress occurs when the manager assumes too much personal responsibility for correcting dysfunctional organizational behavior that is beyond his or her control. Do what you can, but take care that you do not ask too much of yourself.
Keep open the option of joining another organization when these forces are too toxic for you to continue working in the current system.
Treatment of People As Objects
Organizations treat people as objects when they adopt policies or methods of dealing with employees in which the individuals are treated as easily replaceable parts. The employees’ human qualities are expediently overlooked.
The project manager experiences this objectification as it moves down the organizational hierarchy. Often the project manager is encouraged to continue this objectification toward team members regardless of his or her own personal style.
When the project manager believes that the organization’s culture treats people as objects to an extreme, personal stress results. Each project manager must decide whether or not the system is tolerable. Some questions to consider are:
• Can I manage my team in a way that does not treat people as objects and still function successfully in the organization?
• If the answer to the above question is yes, can I do this in a way that does not cause excessive stress for me personally?
Dysfunctional Leadership at Senior Management Levels
Dysfunctional leaders at the senior levels of an organization have a profound effect on creating stressful environments for project managers. Dysfunctional leaders come in many models. Two types that are seldom discussed but can create enormous stress for the project manager are the narcissistic leader and the disengaged leader.
The Narcissistic Leader
Some of the qualities that contribute to successful leadership—a sense of personal self-importance or a preoccupation with success and power—can also be warning signs of the narcissistic leader. The narcissistic leader is so consumed by personal goals and needs that it is nearly impossible for him or her to identify with the needs of others. Occasionally charming, particularly when they want something from others, this type of leader may be known for interpersonal relationships that are exploitative and shallow.
The project manager who must work with a narcissistic leader should do so with great caution. Be careful of this person’s charm and interest; it will evaporate when his or her agenda has been achieved. Trust is a one-way street for this person, and the project manager can experience a great deal of disappointment when expecting this leader to recognize the manager’s needs.
Project managers can create their own stressful situations when they openly confront this person, going against the person’s self-oriented needs. This type of leader does not embrace confrontation, and the project manager who makes direct challenges will feel ostracized and devalued, and will no longer belong in the “inner circle.”
There is little that a project manager can do to limit the stress of dealing with a narcissistic leader, since this person’s pattern of behavior is character-based and therefore not amenable to change. The best, most realistic strategy for the project manager to use to mitigate this type of stress may be to avoid the person as much as possible or to attempt to create a buffer between themselves and this person. (This buffer could be the head of the organization’s Project Management Office—PMO.)
The Disengaged Leader
Stress also flows toward the project manager when senior managers in the organization are disengaged leaders. This is the type of leader whose focus is directed at subjects away from the day-to-day operations of the organization. This person may not be skillful at following through and may not have the necessary systems in place to make the organization productive. The result is that the people who work for this leader are often operating without the necessary systems or resources.
Project managers in an organization with disengaged leaders frequently experience stress related to believing that the leaders have no real interest or understanding about what is taking place on the project level. The project manager has the experience of not being seen or heard by the executive.
In attempting to manage the stress that the disengaged leader can create, the project manager should be aggressive in taking the following actions:
• Look for other sources of support, possibly from other managers or from the PMO.
• Err on the side of action. When working for a disengaged leader, the project manager may be able to manage stress by employing the familiar guideline that says, “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”
STRESS CAUSED BY THE PROJECT MANAGER’S PERSONAL TRAITS
One’s personality can directly contribute to the level of stress that is experienced (see Table 6-2). Four personality traits that contribute to project manager stress are: a perfectionistic-time urgent posture, an over-controlling approach to work, being an overly “feeling” project manager, and unconsciously following certain personal “myths” or beliefs.
Table 6-2. Project Manager Qualities That Can Increase Personal Stress
Perfectionism and Time Urgency
The project manager with perfectionistic tendencies understands on an intellectual level that perfection is not achievable, but this awareness often is not reflected in his or her behavior. A perfectionistic style combined with a sense of time urgency often has the makings of a Type-A personality (Friedman 1996).
A project manager with perfectionistic qualities and time urgency may hold the following attitudes:
• There is only one acceptable level of performance.
• Anything short of that level of performance will be viewed as a failure.
• Work needs to be done as soon as possible (with little consideration of whether that really matters).
These individuals usually have a large reservoir of internalized anxiety or anger that is a result of the high expectations they place on themselves and others. For this person, a task is not viewed as something to be enjoyed; it is a test of competency and will. Because he or she is so focused on perfection, this person rarely enjoys the journey.
The project manager needs to keep these qualities under control so that they do not cause personal turmoil.
To keep perfectionism and time urgency in perspective, a project manager should consider the following approaches:
• Before a task begins, spend some time listing all expectations—realistic and unrealistic—for your own performance and the result and timing of the project.
• Keep this list on hand throughout the project and refer to it regularly. Determine whether you are allowing yourself to drift into activities that have little impact on project success.
Overcontrol
An ongoing dilemma for a project manager is to define the often nebulous point at which exercising appropriate “control” over a project becomes a matter of “overcontrol.”
When not held in check by personal awareness, overcontrol creates stress for the project manager. The project leader is unable to relax, believing that he or she must remain vigilant to control unseen forces or to avoid problems that have yet to occur.
If you believe that overcontrol may be a personal issue for you as a project manager, you can explore that possibility by noting any thoughts that suggest you are trying to take too much responsibility or control for a situation, such as “If I don’t personally review all of the technical drawings, something big will be missed and we will fail.” After compiling a list of these types of thoughts, ask yourself the following questions:
• What would be the worst consequence if this event occurred?
• What is the risk of that consequence to the overall project?
• How bad is that consequence?
• How could I manage that consequence?
• Could the project and I survive if that consequence actually happened?
The process of delineating fears and worst-case scenarios can have a calming effect on the project manager. Once negative consequences have been explored, a survival plan can be created. This process allows the project manager to let go of some of the emotionally charged aspects of the situation.
The Overly “Feeling” Project Manager
The project manager with a strong tendency toward a feeling style of management is a prime candidate for work-related stress reactions. This person is often described as the “feeling” decision maker on the MBTI (discussed in Chapter 3). As a leader, this individual places a strong emphasis on team morale, interpersonal relationships, and lack of conflict, and takes a personal interest in the welfare and development of team members.
The feeling leader can offer a great deal in the role of project manager. However, this manager is often at personal risk of becoming overly stressed during projects, as a result of his or her strong need to be liked by team members.
The project manager with a feeling leadership style need not abandon this style, but instead must temper and use it cautiously in the workplace.
To avoid the negative consequences of a feeling leadership style in the project setting, this leader should:
• Remember that many team members will view a feeling management style as too personal and too intrusive for the team setting.
• When looking to team members for acceptance, approval, and an emotional connection, consider that you may be attempting to get too many of your emotional and relationship needs satisfied in the workplace. Work to meet those needs in your personal life.
Runaway Personal Myths and Beliefs
All of us have reasons for doing the things we do. Some of these reasons are known to us on a conscious level; other reasons are operating on less conscious levels. Many of the reasons for our doing any task are based on deep, substantive, personal “myths” that we bring with us to the work world.
Personal myths are beliefs that we use to describe ourselves and our motivations in life. Myths are developed in early years and at formative turning points in our lives. An example of a personal myth developed early in life is the belief that says: “I am the smartest kid in my class, and I need to show others that I can solve any problem.” Such a personal belief may be grounded initially in fact and then reinforced by teachers, parents, other students, and the world at large.
Personal myths are important because they help motivate us to take action by providing a generalization that we can apply in the workplace. The generalization provides an identity for us—something that tells others, as well as ourselves, who we are. Examples of these identities or personal myths include:
• Hero
• Innovative problem solver
• Brightest person in the group.
Myths serve a positive purpose when they give us a role or purpose on a team. However, if the myth is operating within us on an unconscious level, we may eventually notice that it has taken control of our behavior and has placed us in stressful situations.
Personal myths need to be made conscious. Without having an awareness of what is driving us, we may experience excessive distress, personal pain, and professional problems. How does one become more aware of personal myths? Here is a suggestion.
Imagine yourself as an actor in a film. What role are you playing? How do the screenplay notes and descriptions depict your role and your motives? What actor would be cast as you in the film? The actor you choose gives you a wealth of information about the myths that are driving you. For example, is the actor a famous leading man, previously cast in roles requiring heroic action against overwhelming odds? Is the actress you choose one who is known for roles in which she always does the right thing but is never appreciated by those around her, possibly the earnest, well-meaning victim?
Gaining awareness of our personal myths helps us avoid being managed by them.
ADAPTING TO STRESS: MALADAPTIVE AND ADAPTIVE COPING
Coping methods can be either adaptive or maladaptive. Mal-adaptive efforts at coping include the following behaviors:
• Giving up, such as stopping an activity in an attempt to achieve some control over the stressor
• Becoming aggressive toward others, such as verbally striking out at people perceived to be causing the stress
• Indulging in the extreme, such as excessive drinking, eating, spending, or playing
• Becoming defensive and overusing denial, intellectualization, or fantasy in an attempt to handle issues.
Most people have employed one or more of these maladaptive coping mechanisms at some time in their lives.
To reduce the tendency to engage in maladaptive coping, the project manager should:
• Develop a personal awareness of possible patterns that indicate when a maladaptive pattern is most likely to surface.
• Remember that some aspects of these maladaptive coping approaches can be positive and helpful in handling stress, as long as they are employed selectively and in moderation. For example, “giving up” may be appropriate when it means stopping work on a troublesome problem one afternoon so that you can go home early, get some sleep, and return refreshed the next day to attack the problem.
Adaptive coping strategies, in contrast, can help the project manager handle and reduce stress (see Table 6-3). Five approaches in particular are useful: using positive psychology, developing resilience, crafting cognitive-behavioral strategies, finding “flow” activities in your life, and using “expressive” tools to release internalized feelings and pressures.
Using Positive Psychology
To use the positive psychology approach to manage stress, a person needs to actively look for the positive aspects of even a very negative or painful situation. In essence, this approach is a more sophisticated version of the saying “every cloud has a silver lining.”
Sociological Tools • Develop a work-life balance • Create a personal attachment to your community (however you define it) |
Interpersonal Tools • Spend time with loved ones • Cultivate multiple, in-depth relationships • Develop an intimate relationship with a partner-spouse |
Emotional Tools • Use positive self-talk to generate positive expectations • Use emotional processing tools such as: talking about feelings; personal discussions with a mentor, coach, or counselor; emotional “check-ins” during the day; or free-form journal writing to identify and externalize feelings and emotions |
Physical-Somatic Tools • Healthy diet, exercise • Relaxation training • Massage, dance, yoga, stretching |
Spiritual Tools • Meditation • Awareness of personal values and sources of deep meaning in life • Active pursuit of activities holding “meaning” |
Researchers have noted that the ability to find the positive aspect of a tragedy or stressful event provides a focus away from the negativity of the situation while also providing the individual with a purpose or mission to embrace going forward.
The following is an example of a project manager applying this approach to deal with project stress.
The project manager was anxious that she had to fly to Europe to complete the work of a team member who had abruptly quit the organization. She was worried that she would not fit in well in this new culture, where she would be called upon to conduct her work in a different language. On the plane ride over the Atlantic, she applied “positive psychology” when she adopted this mindset: “Yes, this can be stressful for me, but it is also an opportunity to work on my language skills and visit my distant relatives.”
By crafting a more positive window through which to view the situation, the project manager was able to reduce some of her anxiety and begin to shift to a more positive view of her travels.
It is important to note that positive psychology is not geared toward ignoring the negative or denying the stressful event. These aspects of a project must be acknowledged and addressed. However, positive psychology encourages us to do two things at once: acknowledge the stressful aspect and actively look for the positive aspect of the situation.
Developing Resilience
If you create stress management mechanisms and resources before you need them, you will be more “resilient” when stress hits and you need to respond.
Here’s an example of a project manager creating resilience as a stress management method:
Bruce was assigned to lead a product development team in a software company. Fortunately for him, the project was not to begin for three months. Believing that this project was going to be very stressful for him, Bruce decided to work on developing his personal resilience. He started running again, knowing that running helps him sleep well. He called some friends and scheduled regular dinners where he could meet others and share a laugh. Also, he decided to postpone the remodeling effort on his kitchen until next year, wanting to have his remaining weekends free to relax before his big project started.
Using resilience as a coping strategy obviously involves some prior planning, but resilience-creating activities or approaches do not need to be expensive or time-consuming.
Crafting Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies
A cognitive strategy involves monitoring your inner thoughts (those free-flowing, often negative tapes that we play in our thoughts during stressful times) and trying to craft a more neutral or positive internal message.
Negative thoughts, often referred to as “self-talk,” flow through our minds without our being consciously aware. An example of this type of negative self-talk could be: “This project will never work; I’ve worked with this sponsoring executive before and he can’t stand me.”
A more neutral or positive self-talk statement would be: “While I’ve never gotten along well with this executive before, it is possible that he might treat me better this time. After all, I’ve had that big success on the telecom project, and I’m sure he knows about that. I’ll try to stay open to the idea that maybe things will be different this time in dealing with him.”
As with positive psychology, cognitive approaches do not suggest that we put our heads in the sand and ignore or deny negative situations. The point is that we must not get stuck in a negative outlook. By creating new, positive cognitions, we give ourselves a more positive outlook to take to the challenging situation.
Finding “Flow” Activities in Your Life
“Flow” activities, according to Csikszentmihalyi (1990), are those special activities in each person’s life that give the individual a sense of renewal and happiness. He defines a flow activity as something (e.g., music, sports, reading, a craft, playing with children, walking) where a person loses all sense of time and any feeling of self-consciousness, essentially having the experience of “getting lost” in the activity.
By definition, flow activities do not have to cost a great deal of money or take up large amounts of time. The only requirements for engaging in a flow activity are the ability to identify such an activity in one’s life, the basic skill or ability required for successful participation in the activity, and, finally, the willingness to put time aside for the activity.
Using “Expressive” Tools
Talking about personal feelings and issues at work is an example of an expressive tool, which can be very helpful for some project managers. These talks can be with friends, peers, or interested family members. However, depending on the issue at hand, some discussions are best handled through a more formalized relationship with a mentor, an executive “coach,” or a personal counselor or therapist.
Some general guidelines to consider when choosing a mentor, coach, or counselor are:
• Choose a mentor when you need someone who has knowledge of your organization or who has been a project manager before and understands what is involved. A mentor can help you navigate some of the political rough spots that you might encounter with the issue in question.
• Choose an executive coach when you want someone who can provide a “neutral” approach to problem solving. A coach will generally help define the problem and then formulate a plan of action that you can implement with his or her support and encouragement.
• Choose a counselor or therapist when you want to address the issue at an emotionally deeper level, examining how certain traits or life events have affected the current problem or are being affected by the current situation.
Personal demands on the project manager are numerous in today’s complicated and fast-paced project environment. Stressors facing the project manager come from organizational issues, the inherent complexities of project management, and the project manager’s personality traits.
The project manager needs to develop a great deal of personal awareness and understanding in defining his or her sources of stress—what is stressful for one project manager may not be stressful for another project manager.
When creating a personal stress management action plan, the project manager needs to be creative and willing to experiment with different approaches. Unless the project manager is active in identifying the sources of stress and in planning a personalized stress management program, he or she is at risk of being too passive in the face of the stress. Passivity in addressing stress leaves the project manager vulnerable to emotional and intellectual exhaustion arising from a pervading hopelessness that grows from inaction.
A project manager who is fully engaged in a personalized approach to stress management is most likely to remain vital, excited, and content, even in the face of complex demands and challenges.
Discussion Questions
Consider the following situation:
A project manager, operating within a matrix model of organization, encountered significant frustration even before the project got started. This manager discovered that three functional managers were balking at releasing skilled employees to work on the new project. All three functional managers told the project manager that they were understaffed and could not afford to give up good people.
For three weeks, the project leader held meeting after meeting with these functional managers, trying to convince and cajole them into releasing the needed employees. The functional managers’ arguments appeared to the project manager as shallow and incomplete. He viewed their actions as being more obstructionistic than professional, and they all appeared to resist any attempt he made to reason with them.
After four weeks, the project manager realized that his anger was increasing, to the point where he was hoping to avoid seeing these functional managers in the hallways. His sleep was interrupted by recurring thoughts of “What am I going to do if I can’t get these three people for my team?”
After days of inadequate sleep, he finally appealed to his project sponsor for support—and the three people were assigned to his team. By that time, however, he felt discouraged, fatigued, and unmotivated. And the real work of the project had yet to begin.
1. What should the project manager have done to address these personal feelings before starting work on the project?
2. What would you do if you were in such a situation?
3. In general, what can project managers do to minimize stress while working in a matrix environment?