CHAPTER

10

If an idea's worth having once, it's worth having twice.

—Tom Stoppard

Leading the Way

In an organization that commits to doing project reviews and taking action on the findings, a challenge arises on how to implement changes and be effective in political environments. In this chapter we embrace the need to lead with power, describe authentic leadership and persuasion skills, and present a process that culminates in a political plan. We share thought processes and offer a sample template to record observations and propose action steps. We summarize hopes and dreams for sponsorship excellence in our closing thoughts.

Leading with Power

Leading with power helps leaders understand and transform their personal power, which transforms results, relationships, cultures, and personal fulfillment. Project management goes beyond techniques to complete projects on time, scope, and budget. Improving organizational performance depends on getting more accomplished through projects. What gets accomplished and how comes under the purview of power and politics.

Organizations by their nature are political. To be effective, project managers and their sponsors need to become politically sensitive. Assessing the environment, rethinking attitudes toward power and politics, and developing an effective political plan are foundational steps. These help address the power structure in an organization, identify critical stakeholder levels of trust and agreement, develop a guiding coalition, and determine areas of focus—actions that can take place in a project office (see Englund, Graham, & Dinsmore, 2003). Drawing causal loops, both vicious and virtuous, helps depict consequences of behaviors.

Instead of lamenting about a failed project, program, or initiative, learn about power and politics to optimize project success. Exercise leadership as a transformational process that guides people along a desired path. Knowledge, wisdom, and courage, combined with action, have the potential to change your approach to project work. The objective for sharing these examples and insights is to help turn potential victim scenarios into win-win political victories.

Conceptual Base

A common theme for success or failure of any organizational initiative is building a guiding coalition—a bonding of sponsors and influential people who support the project or initiative. This support or its lack thereof represents a powerful force either toward or away from a goal. Gaining support means the difference between success and failure. Moderate success may occur without widespread political support, but continuing long-term business impact requires alignment of power factors within an organization.

Organizations attempting projects across functions, businesses, and geographies increasingly encounter complexities that threaten their success. A common response is to set up control systems—reports, measures, and rewards—that inhibit the very results intended. This happens when managers violate natural laws, inhibit free flow of information, and impose unnecessary constraints. These external forces tend to drive out people's natural motivation.

In contrast, taming the chaos and managing complexity are possible when stakeholders establish a strong sense of purpose, develop shared vision and values, share information as an enabling factor, and adopt patterns that promote cooperation across cultural boundaries. These processes represent major changes for many organizations. They also constitute the means to lead with power.

Often, people learn the power of a nonguiding coalition too late. This happens when a surprise attack results in a resource getting pulled, a project manager is reassigned, or a project is canceled. Getting explicit commitments up front, the more public the better, is important to implementing any project or initiative. It also takes follow-through to maintain the commitment. But if commitment was not obtained initially, it is not possible to maintain throughout. It all starts by investigating attitudes and assessing how things get done.

Views of Politics

It is said that Albert Einstein once observed that “politics is more difficult than physics.” Politics will be present anytime an attempt is made to turn a vision for change into reality. It is a fact of life, not a dirty word that should be stamped out. A common view is what happens with negative politics, which is a win-lose environment in an underhanded or without-your-knowledge-of-what's-happening approach. People feel manipulated, and the outcome is not desirable from their point of view. Secret discussions are more prevalent than public ones. Reciprocal agreements are made to benefit individuals rather than organizations.

Project managers and sponsors who shy away from power and politics are not being all they can be. A big pitfall for people is not taking the time to fully assess what they are up against—learning how to operate effectively in a political environment.

What is a political environment? A negative reaction to the word political could be a barrier to success. Being political is not a bad thing when trying to get good things done for the organization. A political environment is the power structure, formal and informal. It is how things get done in the day-to-day processes as well as in a network of relationships. Power is the capacity each individual possesses to translate intention into reality and sustain it. Organizational politics is the exercise or use of power. Since project management is all about getting results, it stands to reason that power is required. Political savvy is a vital ingredient for every sponsor's toolkit.

The political process is always at work in organizations. The political jungle is a chaotic environment. Success comes to those who identify the “animals” in the jungle and recognize that they exhibit certain traits and patterns. Each is driven by a purpose. Being effective with the “lions, tigers, and bears” involves working in their preferred operating modes, speaking their language, and aligning common purposes.

The challenge is to create an environment for positive politics. In a positive political environment, people operate with a win-win attitude. All actions are out in the open. People demonstratively work hard toward a common good. Outcomes are desirable or at least acceptable to all parties concerned. Good, smart people who trust one another (even if they do not always agree), getting together to solve clearly defined and important issues, guided by effective, facilitated processes, with full disclosure and all information out in the open, can accomplish almost anything. This is the view of power and politics that we espouse.

Assessing the Political Environment

Understand the power structure in the organization. A view from outer space would not show the lines that separate countries or organizations or functional areas or political boundaries. The lines are artificial figments that exist in our minds or on paper but not in physical reality. Clues to a power structure may come from an organizational chart, but how things get done goes far beyond that. Influence exists in people's hearts and minds, where power derives more from legitimacy than from authority. Its presence occurs in the implementation of decisions.

Legitimacy is what people confer on their leaders. Being authentic and acting with integrity are factors a leader decides in relation to others; legitimacy is the response from others. Position power may command respect, but ultimately how a leader behaves is what gains wholehearted commitment from followers. Legitimacy is the real prize, for it completes the circle. When people accept and legitimize the power of a leader, greater support gets directed toward the outcome; conversely, less resistance is present.

People have always used organizations to amplify human power. Art Kleiner (2003) states a premise that in every organization there is a core group of key people—the “people who really matter”—in which the organization continually acts to fulfill the perceived needs and priorities of this group (p. 4).

Kleiner suggests numerous ways to identify these powerful people. People who have power are at the center of the organization's informal network. They are symbolic representatives of the organization's direction. They got this way because of their position, their rank, and their ability to hire and fire others. Maybe they control a key bottleneck or belong to a particular influential subculture. They may have personal charisma or integrity. These people take a visible stand on behalf of the organization's principles and engender a level of mutual respect. They dedicate themselves as leaders of the organization's ultimate best interests and set the organization's direction. As they think, act, or convey an attitude, so too does the rest of the organization. Their characteristics and principles convey what an organization stands for. These are key people who, when open to change, can influence an organization to move in new directions or, when not open to change, keep it the same.

Another way to recognize key people is to look for decision makers in the mainstream business of the organization. They may be aligned with the headquarters culture, ethnic basis, or gender; speak the native language; or be part of the founding family. Some questions to ask about people in the organization are: Whose interests did we consider in making a decision? Who gets things done? Who could stop something from happening? Who are the “heroes”?

Power is not imposed by boundaries. Power is earned, not demanded. Power can come from position in the organization, what a person knows, a network of relationships, and possibly from the situation, meaning that a person could be placed in a situation that has a great deal of importance and focus at that moment.

A simple test for where power and influence reside is to observe whom people talk to or go to with questions or seek advice. Whose desk do people meet at? Who always complains about a long string of voice or email messages? Whose calendar is hard to get onto?

One of the most reliable sources of power when working across organizations is the credibility a sponsor and project managers have built through a network of relationships. It is necessary to have credibility before a person can attract team members, especially the best people, who are usually busy and have many other things competing for their time. Credibility comes from building relationships in a political environment. In contrast, credibility gaps occur when prior experience did not fulfill expectations or when perceived abilities to perform are unknown and therefore questionable. Organizational memory has a lingering effect—people long remember what happened before and do not give up these perceptions without due cause. People more easily align with someone who has the power of knowledge credibility.

Power and politics also address the basic priority of project management's triple constraints—outcome, schedule, and cost. If the power in an organization resides in marketing where trade shows rule new product introductions, meeting market window schedules becomes most important. An R&D-driven organization tends to focus on features and new technology, often at the expense of schedule and cost.

Mapping Behavior

Stakeholder analysis is integral to a political plan. One format is to apply traits or characteristics of animals to people in the organization. Our experience demonstrates that it is a fun and less risky approach to sensitive topics. People quickly come to understand the challenges of dealing with these “animals.”

Each individual can be assessed based on the degree of mutual trust and for agreement on the project or program's purpose, vision, and mission. Using these assessments, each person can be categorized in one of four quadrants as shown on the stakeholder grid in Table 10.1 of the Appendix. This grid is a stakeholder analysis tool that combines diagnoses about mutual trust, agreement on purpose, vision, mission, and “political jungle” characteristics. It can be used to assess the current environment and develop an approach for each stakeholder. Ultimately, the goal is to move everyone up and to the right on the stakeholder grid. For example, through the individual assessments, each individual can be aligned with a specific “animal” and be positioned on the grid. The “animals” describe the personal characteristics that can be considered when deciding a course of action with each stakeholder to ensure support for a project. Here are some examples:

Tiger: Solitary, powerful, strong, skillful

Lion: Social, outgoing, approachable, loud

Bear: Solitary, intelligent, avoids people

Venomous snake: Cold-blooded, ruthless when provoked

Female black widow spider: Shy and solitary but poisonous; willing to devour weaker colleagues

Arctic fox: Easy to recognize but hard to catch; smiling but manipulative

Raccoon: Intensely curious

Sheep: Dependent on the herd; willing to follow leaders and produce whatever is required

Moving everyone up and to the right in Table 10.1 is the most productive situation when you are surrounded by allies. Those in the opponents quadrant require attention to build agreement. Those on the left side require trust building. Start by reinforcing positions of strength, and then work on areas of concern. Use the knowledge about traits and behavior patterns to address each stakeholder's needs, as well as to protect yourself when necessary.

With these concepts in mind, the next task for project leaders and sponsors is to apply political savvy in the organizational environment. Difficult challenges that arise do not have simple answers, but effective action can be guided by applying the concepts of authenticity and integrity. These are fundamental concepts that get left out of modern business activities. We may be tempted or pressured by short-term expedient responses. However, imagine yourself five years in the future looking back on this time: What will you be most proud of? What will you remember—that you met a budget or did the right thing?

It is easy to get caught in a vicious loop when there is no time to create a clear and widely understood business vision—daily actions consist of problem solving and firefighting, often driven more by urgency than by importance. Consequently, work is not consistently prioritized, and the vast diversity of job concerns leaves even less time for reflection on levels of importance. Choices are made in isolation (much like trying to pick among lyrics in the song “Three Coins in the Fountain”), leading to duplication of effort or gaps in the product line. This ultimately produces unsatisfactory business results because important things do not get done. We come full circle around the loop to require a clear business vision. The trick is to break the loop.

Leaders, caught up in a vicious loop like the one in Figure 10.1 and speaking without authenticity and committing integrity crimes, shift the burden in the wrong direction. Leaders have a choice: to ignore fundamental values and get into a difficult predicament or to tap the energy and loyalty of others to help everyone succeed. The difference resides in authenticity and integrity.

In the discipline of systems thinking, this predicament is a classic example of a “shifting the burden” archetype. Such an archetype is a pattern that helps explain recurring behaviors in human interactions. Shifting the burden occurs when applying a short-term fix actually undermines a leader's ability to take action at a more fundamental level. The causal loop, starting in the middle of Figure 10.2, depicts how many project leaders proceed when under pressure to get results. The quick fix (in balancing loop B1) is to resort to a command-and-control approach (s = same or + effect), which on a surface level appears to lessen the pressure (o = opposite or – effect). However, this approach drives individuals to commit integrity crimes when they believe that what they say is more important than what they do. This has an opposite effect on the people they want to influence or persuade (in reinforcing loop R3). These people do not do their best work, placing more pressure on getting results. The top loop is the common situation that leads to getting worse and is the single loop that people get stuck in. The bottom or double loop is a corrective action to do something fundamentally different. The outer loop is a common solution that just leads to getting worse.

We need to understand cause-and-effect relationships, break the loop somewhere (often it does not matter exactly where), and do something different. The new actions cannot help but lead to change because that is the nature of cause-and-effect. The good news about this approach is to avoid being overwhelmed by the political environment and to take small actions that may have more favorable outcomes that derive from understanding natural cycles that affect all we do.

Feedback is a powerful tool to guide behavior. Mapping behaviors highlights that what we do comes back to help or hurt us. It also shows the ripple effect of multiple actions—in other words, our interdependence. These tools reinforce the need to be careful in what we do when interacting with others and also the power of changing behaviors by giving feedback to others about possible consequences of their actions. This leads to self-correcting behaviors.

Leadership, and subsequently followership, depends on the emotional bonding and alignment that occurs among people, teams, and the organization. This becomes a primary role for leading in a political environment—developing skills of emotional intelligence and practicing “primal leadership” (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002). A sponsor's goal is to grow capacity in people and the organization. This means support the extent that people have the intellectual, emotional, physical, and financial resources to adjust to necessary changes. It may mean dropping old beliefs and behaviors; this is done through open discussions in which people come to value the new rather than hanging on to the old.

The fundamental solution to the pressure to get results is to develop skills of persuasion as practiced by a change agent (in balancing loop B2). Help people believe in the vision and mission and also help them figure out why it is in their best interest to put their best work into the project. People usually respond positively to this approach and accomplish the work with less pressure. Tap people's innate talents, and create a natural environment where thoughts and information move freely. This virtuous loop represents a political plan at its finest.

Authentic Leadership in Action

A fundamental solution to creating a political plan includes applying tools of influence and persuasion such as the following:

Reciprocity. Give an unsolicited gift. People will feel the need to give something back. Perhaps a big contract or maybe another opportunity to continue building a strong relationship.

Consistency. Draw people into public commitments, even very small ones. This can be very effective in directing future action. Ask for explicit commitments, and enforce them consistently.

Social validation. Let people know that implementing a project management methodology is considered the standard by others. People often determine what they should do by looking at what others are doing.

Liking. Let people know that you like them and that you are likable too. People want to do business with people they like. Elements that build liking include physical attractiveness, similarity, compliments, and cooperation.

Authority. Be professional and personable. A suit and tie can do wonders. Other factors are experience, expertise, and scientific credentials. Tap referential power by being publicly named as the program sponsor by someone high up in the organization; use that connection to get the attention of others.

Scarcity. Notice just how rare good program practice is, not to mention people who can transform a culture. Not everyone knows what it takes to make a program successful. Stand out as a person who is willing to do the right things in the right ways.

Cialdini (2000) sums up the science and practice of persuasion like this: Repay favors, behave consistently, follow the lead of similar others, favor the requests of those we like, heed legitimate authorities, and value scarce resources.

Creating an environment for successful projects requires all players, and especially sponsors, to act with authenticity (people believe what they say) and integrity (do what they say they will do, and for the stated reasons). Authenticity and integrity link the head and the heart, the words and the action; they separate belief from disbelief and often make the difference between success and failure. Many people in organizations lament that their leaders lack authenticity and integrity. When that feeling is prevalent, trust cannot develop, and optimal results are difficult if not impossible to achieve (Graham & Englund, 2004).

Integrity is the most difficult—and the most important—value a leader can demonstrate. Integrity is revealed slowly, day by day, in word and deed. Actions that compromise a leader's integrity often have swift and profound repercussions. Every leader is in the spotlight of the people they lead. As a result, shortcomings in integrity are readily apparent. Political leaders who failed often did so not by their deeds but by integrity gaps.

I (Englund) was present when a CIO addressed his entire IT department. He conveyed that the CEO wants them to focus on hardware. I immediately concluded that this is a narrow-minded focus. Is this manager just passing along this dictate? However, the CIO skillfully said, “I am not sure this is the right approach to pursue, but since we have been asked to do so, I ask for your support.” This demonstrates authentic behavior. The manager fulfills the mandate but also shares his concerns. People in such situations are more likely to comply.

Here are some guidelines for achieving integrity:

• Identify basic leadership traits and their consequences; know yourself.
• Assess and compare leadership approaches in complex situations; practice developing judgment by simulating what you would do and comparing that to what respected leaders actually did.
• Break the vicious loop somewhere; then modify a burden-shifting structure to create a positive culture.
• Appreciate the value of authentic leadership, and commit to act with integrity.

It becomes painfully evident when team members sense a disconnect between what they and their sponsor believe is important. Energy levels drop, and productive work either ceases or slows down. “Integrity crimes” will not send you to jail but will limit effectiveness. Sponsors who commit integrity crimes display aspects of a common challenge—becoming a victim of the measurement and reward system. Here are some examples:

• A sponsor giving a pep talk to the project team on the unrealistic “merits” of doing an eighteen-month project in six months
• Starting a meeting with a stated intention but diverting it to meet another assignment
• Passing along to the rank and file senior management statements with which the speaker disagrees
• Ending all telephone conversations with “Someone's at my desk so I have to go now”
• Requiring weekly milestones to be met and promising feedback and customer reviews but not providing them
• Directing that a new standard methodology be used but not training people to use it
• Promising a contract (or anything else) for the following week but not sending it (or following through as promised)

“Show me how people are measured,” the axiom holds, “and I'll show you how they behave.” People have inner voices that reflect values and beliefs that lead to authenticity and integrity. They also experience external pressures to get results. The test for a true leader is to balance the internal with external pressures and to demonstrate truthfulness so that all concerned come to believe in the direction chosen. Know that people will generally work anytime and follow anywhere a person who leads with authenticity and integrity. Be that person.

Measurement systems need to reflect authentically on the values and guiding principles of the organization. Forced or misguided metrics and rewards do more harm than good. Unrealistic deadlines with no obvious motivation are deadly. Be aware of unintended consequences.

Unattended consequences occur when shooting from the hip without considering a more systematic approach to any situation—you solve the current problem but create other problems. Sponsors may set up metrics, rewards, or reporting requirements so that they can feel comfortable about what is going on but do not realize how others react who get a message that they are not trusted to do the right thing. Another example is marketing messages that do not translate well or when translated mean something derogatory.

Preparing a Political Plan

The concepts discussed in this chapter can be recorded on a form or “political plan” template like the sample shown in Table 10.2 in the Appendix. Record reflections on the culture, prior behaviors, and recurring issues. Think about creating small wins that set the stage for broader-based actions across the organization. Decide on a role, and prepare to take action.

Approach organizational politics like a chess game. You are aware of the role and power of each chess piece, but success in the game depends on your movements and the movements of your adversary. Sponsors and project managers need to be good chess players because that way they will be able to influence people in organizations. One of us (Bucero) discovered the similarities between a project and a chess game on a vacation. My young son knew how to identify who has the power in each movement and was able to use it. Sometimes he failed; sometimes he succeeded. That is a typical scenario.

Are You “In the Game”?

As a project sponsor, I (Englund) had (one of many) discussions about additional costs being added to my home build project. I made a comment to our builder: “I don't want to play that game.” The builder took offense at that comment. I believe he thought I was trivializing the situation and not honoring standard industry practices. The conversation did not go well.

To prevent future misunderstanding, I am compelled to clarify the meaning of my statement. I argue that this thinking and use of words are valuable tools in The Complete Project Manager's Toolkit (Englund & Bucero, 2012b) and for sponsors as well. They add perspective and intent to many interactions.

A context for using this terminology is selecting color for a concrete driveway pour. The homeowner's association requires colored driveways. Adding a one percent color cost $X. More color at three percent is $2X. Five percent color is another $2X. X is not just the cost of the color. It is the total price for the delivered cement. That means, for me as the homeowner, asking for more color results in the driveway costing twice as much! My mind asks, “How can adding more pigment to the cement cost twice as much?” I believe this practice is ripping off the consumer. I did not want to play that game. Bear in mind, I do not fully understand the mechanics or justification of this practice, so I am only expressing a layman's point of view.

Allow me to define what I mean by games. Games have rules. Each player in the game has a role, or tasks, and shared goals. To be in the game means I learn, understand, and agree to abide by the rules. I can be penalized for violating the rules. Games have scores, or metrics. I win, lose, or tie against others in the game. I chose to play the game…or not.

Viewing project work (or any other activity for that matter) as a game means I know the rules and understand standard practices. An organization may have a certain way to conduct work or projects. I can get into trouble when doing it differently. People may resist or refuse to operate in a different way. The project may not achieve desired outputs and outcomes. I was told one time that before I suggest doing something a different way, I need to fully understand the way it was done now and why. This “sensitivity training” was a valuable lesson for me.

So now I have options. Once I understand the game and its rules, I can play the game as usual or even better than ever before. Or, I can decide to change or make up new rules. Or, I can decide not to play the game and not participate.

I believe these options are wonderful, liberating tools for everyone. They put a different perspective on life. Yes, there are consequences; the penalties may be stiff. I may be accused of not being a team player. But I also may serve as a pioneer to take organizations into innovative territories. It becomes possible to invent new markets, new ways of competing. I can become a role model for higher levels of performance. I make a difference in the world around me.

In my example, I chose not to pay the additional markup. The association may want more color, but they are not the ones paying the bill. I am happy with the outcome. It is consistent with the theme of the house “Casa de Zen” and complements the neighborhood. It is not the same as other houses, but neither am I. I chose to play a slightly different game, one that does not threaten coexistence with our neighbors. Rather, our house adds to the charm and uniqueness of the development. I may be either respected or scorned for this behavior. It is my choice for what I do. I cannot control the reactions of others. But I exercise free choice and accept the consequences.

(To add a coda: In a recent homeowners’ association meeting, neighbors complained that their driveways were peeling and required expensive updates. We felt so good that we had resisted the guideline to make our driveway “pretty”; instead we chose a practical approach that minimizes extensive and ongoing maintenance. This was a portfolio decision guided by sticking to our own “rules” governing our house design.)

So ask yourself these questions: Are you in the game? What is the game? What is your role? What are you contributing to the project, team, and organization? Are you satisfied with the status quo? How can you change the game? Are you okay with the scoring system or should the measurement system be revised? Do you want to play this game, or do you want to find or invent a new one? Do you need to change professions, go elsewhere, or delegate certain tasks to others? Sponsors and project managers can use this thought process to truly engage in new ways within an organization. Are you ready to commit to excellence in project sponsorship?

Summary

This chapter focuses on operating in a political environment and leading the way to achieving results. Many organizations lack good political “swimmers.” Leading with power is a learned skill. It involves assessment, identification, skill building, planning, and application. Like all learning, it involves movement between reflection and action.

Creating a political plan starts with making a commitment to lead with power, most probably personal power. It continues by identifying sources of power, performing stakeholder analysis, and applying the values of authenticity and integrity. Look systematically at the environment, which may be depicted as a vicious loop. Instead, create a virtuous loop based on tools of persuasion and influence.

Trust cannot develop and even quests to implement enterprise project management remain a fiction until leaders create an environment that supports these qualities. Take the time to document a political plan, noting your observations and deciding on action steps. Exercise choices to decide if the “game” you are in is the right one or if it needs to be changed.

Closing Thoughts

This book is all about achieving better results from project-based work. Our objective is to convey that excellence in sponsorship plays a major role in optimizing outcomes. A sponsor initiates, funds, and supports the project from its inception through its completion and on throughout the project outcome life cycle. Proactive sponsorship is the ideal. Selecting the right people, clarifying roles, making the commitment, and getting appropriate training are steps along the path. Managers acting as project sponsors need to spend time with every project team member, dealing with misunderstandings and varying perceptions. Sustaining energy is also required.

Many other sponsorship roles may accrue, be cast on, or come from enlightened persons who find creative ways to express leadership and make a contribution. Mentoring accelerates this process; in fact, coaching and mentoring are desired characteristics of a good sponsor. A key obligation of a sponsor is to create the right environment for project success. Achieving excellence in sponsorship means that senior managers get to maintain a hands-off approach but are available when problems come up.

Success starts with a strong commitment to improve. Leaders become better prepared as sponsors of major projects by taking inventory of their talents, skills, and behaviors and putting appropriate action plans in place. Knowledge management encompasses an ascent from data to information to knowledge and wisdom. Reaching the top of a stairway represents enlightenment—eyes are fully open about why, what, and how to invoke excellence in project sponsorship.

An objective for this book is to unlock and open the doors of sponsorship. Those doors may currently be slightly ajar and that is okay. Or you may need to kick or fling them open and traverse a new pathway. The reader has choices: Ignore the opportunities an open door represents, approach it cautiously, or pass through it eagerly. If you stand before an open door, you can spend time and energy on non-value-adding activities—or embrace sponsor and management commitments that achieve greater project success.

Table 10.3 in the Appendix summarizes the contents of this book in a mind map. Use this map as a quick reference guide, both for this book and in practice. Apply the checklists, questionnaires, and templates found in the Appendix or modify them for specific situations.

Executives need training, experience, and practice to be effective sponsors. Why, what, and how are clearly delineated. Let us know if this approach works for you and if we can help on the journey. Sponsorship is a required and critical success factor for all projects, in all industries and disciplines. We believe improving sponsorship roles and actions will reap tremendous results in all organizations. Please join with us to “dream” of such a world and make it happen. Move forward, because every day is a good day for change.

Best wishes on all your projects!