Kendrick - Results without authority: controlling a project when the team doesnt report to you

RESULTS WITHOUT AUTHORITY

Controlling a Project When the Team Doesnt Report to You

SECOND EDITION

TOM KENDRICK

Special discounts on bulk quantities of AMACOM books are available to corporations, professional associations, and other organizations. For details, contact Special Sales Department, AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Tel: 800-250-5308. Fax: 518-891-2372.
E-mail: specialsls@amanet.org
Website: www.amacombooks.org/go/specialsales
To view all AMACOM titles go to: www.amacombooks.org

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

PMI and the PMI logo are service and trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. which are registered in the United States of America and other nations; PMP and the PMP logo are certification marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. which are registered in the United States of America and other nations; PMBOK, PM Network, and PMI Today are trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. which are registered in the United States of America and other nations; ... building professionalism in project management is a trade and service mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. which is registered in the United States of America and other nations; and the Project Management Journal logo is a trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

PMI did not participate in the development of this publication and has not reviewed the content for accuracy. PMI does not endorse or otherwise sponsor this publication and makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation, expressed or implied, as to its accuracy or content. PMI does not have any financial interest in this publication, and has not contributed any financial resources.

Additionally, PMI makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation, express or implied, that the successful completion of any activity or program, or the use of any product or publication, designed to prepare candidates for the PMPCertification Examination, will result in the completion or satisfaction of any PMPCertification eligibility requirement or standard.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kendrick, Tom.

Results without authority: controlling a project when the team doesnt report to you / Tom Kendrick.2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8144-1781-2

ISBN-10: 0-8144-1781-7

1. Project management. I. Title.

HD69.P75K463 2012

2012 Tom Kendrick.

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Printing number

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

R ESULTS W ITHOUT A UTHORITY benefits from the hard-earned experience of hundreds of excellent project leaders and managers who have so generously shared their experiences over the years. In particular, I need to thank Terry Ash, Ron Askeland, Ron Benton, Scott Beth, Alfonso Bucero, Craig Chatterton, Karel de Bakker, Al DeLucia, Anup Deshpande, Randy Englund, Tom Fader, Wayne Goulding, Bob Gudz, Esteri Hinman, Rosemary Hossenlopp, Nancy McDonald, Bob Montevaldo, Joe Podolsky, Patrick Schmid, Richard Simonds, Ted Slater, Jim Sloane, Jose Solera, David Straker, Arun Swamy, Peter Vogel-Dittrich, Ashok Waran, J. D. Watson, and Todd Williams, who provided examples, feedback, and encouragement throughout the process of pulling this book together. I also want to thank my long-suffering spouse, Barbara Kendrick, who repeatedly read and reread the text of this book, attacking the confusion and untangling the knots.

Although these friends (and many others) deserve a great measure of the credit for what is in this book, any errors, omissions, or unnecessary complexity are all on me. If you find any, or just want to provide feedback, please let me know.

Getting results without authority involves more than a little luck. Yet luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. I hope in this book you find ample guidance for your preparations, and all of your opportunities result in successful projects.

TOM KENDRICK
SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA
TKENDRICK@FAILUREPROOFPROJECTS.COM

RESULTS WITHOUT AUTHORITY

P ROJECTS ARE EVERYWHERE . Some of these projects succeed; others do not. Many projects fail because the project leader lacks sufficient control to keep things moving toward a successful conclusion. Insufficient project control is a result of many factors: lack of authority, geographically distributed teams, excessive project change, competing priorities, and inadequate planningjust to name a few.

Increasingly today, projects are undertaken in environments where the project leader has little formal authority. Even for project managers with formal authority, significant portions of project work are done by contributors who work for other managers, often for a different company. Projects where no one is in charge are almost certain to fail. As the leader of your project, you must assume control, whether or not you possess organizational authority. As unlikely as it may sometimes seem, any project leader can do much to establish and maintain project control. This book has many ideas for achieving project success using techniques that dont depend on organizational position or on formal authority.

Whos in Charge?

In classes, workshops, and informal discussions of project management that Ive been a part of, one of the most common questions is, How can I manage my project if I have no power or authority? This issue comes up so often that I developed a list of things that project leaders can (and should) take control of, regardless of their position or power in an organization. None of these things requires any authority beyond what is implicit when you are delegated responsibility for a project, and some dont even rely on that.

Factors That Any Project Leader Can Control

Measurement

Reporting cycles

Milestones

Communication

Project reviews

Change management

Rewards and recognition

Constructive criticism

Reciprocity and exchange

Risk monitoring

Project leaders can use these means, along with many others in this book, to enhance their control in any project environment. Because the techniques outlined in the next several chapters dont rely on the command-and-control authority of the project leader, they are effective in cross-functional, agile, matrix, heavily outsourced, virtual, volunteer, and other challenging environments. In fact, even project managers with substantial authority will benefit from the practices described in this book because they avoid the potential resentment and demotivation that can result from pulling rank.