influence without authority€¦ · · 2008-10-23• your personal effectiveness in achieving...

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Influence Without Authority:Navigating Internal Politics

W. Don Gottwald

Session #PDS08



Session Agenda

• Introduction –

• Step 1 – Current situation

• Step 2 – What is the problem

• Step 3 – What needs to be done?

• Step 4 – Who is he problem?

• Step 5 – Self evaluation

• Step 6 – Change Roadmap



My Background

• PhD – Wayne State University

• PMP – Project Management Institute

• CCP – Business Information Systems, IT Management

• 30 + years in various technical and management positions

• 18+ years in academia – full and part time

• Various industries:

Automotive

Healthcare/Insurance

K‐12

Telecommunications

Retail



My Background

Various disciplines:

• Network Architecture and Information Security

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

• Engineering Application Development and Modeling

• Business Process Management and Quality Assurance

• International Operations and Marketing – M&A. JV, and Acquisitions



My Background

Research Interests include:

Project Leadership Practices

Communication Practices in Virtual Settings

Project Initiation Strategies that Align with Corporate Strategies



Introduction

• In most organizations, the functional manager

controls the resources required for projects and

the Project Manager has little to no authority to

obtain the resources when needed.

How do you influence the functional manager

to release the resources?



Introduction

• Stakeholders have differing agendas – not all are

aligned with your current project effort.

How do you get all of them to be on the same

page?



Introduction

• Are other, less capable individuals getting ahead and

you’re not?



• Have you ever had the answer to a vexing problem

and couldn’t get anyone to listen to you to solve the

issue?

Introduction



Introduction

• How do others perceive you as compared to how you

see yourself?



Introduction

• Is the problem someone else’s and not yours?



Introduction

• Are you dealing with a bunch of monkeys?



• The seminar is not about a panacea, or cure‐all, or fit all

situations in all organizations silver bullet type of seminar

• But – it might be helpful in organizing a roadmap to achieve

greater success and influence in your project leadership

approach

• It might help you figure out where the real problem might be

• It’ll provide some hints for further personal development

Introduction



Step 1 – Current Situation

Need to objectively determine:

• Organizational culture

• Organizational structure – departmental/silos/reporting

relationships

• Organizational focus/strategy/future direction/profitability

outlook

• Project failure/success ratio

• Shining stars



Step 1 – Current Situation

Need to objectively determine:

• Roles and responsibilities

• Your personal effectiveness in achieving project success –

working with various teams

• Your assessment of the situation – who can you work with well

and who do you consider belonging to the tree dwellers



• Nobody listens to you?

• Every meeting turns into a “fight” – nobody is doing what they

should be

• Situation always turns explosive?

Step 2 – What is the problem?



• Misinterpretation

• Miscommunication

• No mutual understanding

• No common goals and objectives

• You juggle too many activities and you’re drowning




Are you having difficulty:

• Getting your plan approved?

• Getting the team to work together?

• Getting resources when you need them?

• Achieving milestones?

• Meeting budget and time constraints?

• Getting approvals for …. {name it here}

• Etc……




• The project doesn’t meet organizational strategy and you don’t

want to tell anyone for fear of losing your job?

• You can’t get any cooperation from anybody – they all have their

own work and your project isn’t on their priority list

• Are you behind the proverbial 8‐ball?




• You can’t…….

• You have no authority

• … yet you are responsible and accountable for meeting project

objectives and goals

• Are you whining?




• Identify requirements –

• Not what is being asked for but what is needed

• Identify resources and skills needed

• Establish resource availability

• Share a common vision ‐

• Ask – don’t tell

• Develop – don’t criticize

Step 3 – What needs to be done?



How do you?

• Establish relationships

• Know your facts

• Identify and communicate mutual benefits

• Find people’s

Step 3 – What needs to be done?



The departmental managers –

• they won’t give me… or support….

The executives –

• the are unreasonable – not enough budget or time

The team –

• They are always coming up with a different excuse for not….

Step 4 – Who is the problem?



Could it be that you are your own nemesis?

Have you looked at you lately?

• Does this describe you:

Banging on the keyboard to document the plan and ….

Criticizing – complaining – whining about {everything}

Telling team members – you’re on this project and you better

deliver….

Everything is always someone else’s fault

Status is always green….

Step 4 – Who is the problem?



Step 5 – Self evaluation

Look into the mirror and find out:

• Who are you and what do you stand for?

• What is your credibility?

• What are your credentials?

• What is your leadership style?

• What is your communication style and ability?

• What are your Collaboration/Coaching abilities?

• What is your EQ



Step 5 – Self evaluation

Ask others – friends – family – peers – bosses – coworkers – 360

degree evaluation:

• Who are you and what do you stand for?

• What is your credibility?

• What is your leadership style?

• What is your communication style and ability?

• What are your Collaboration/Coaching abilities?

• What is your EQ



Step 6 – Change Roadmap

• Take the 360 degree feedback and evaluate objectively

• Don’t get angry – it’s probably true

• Start by identifying your weaknesses

• Put them into a priority order

• Then develop a plan to mitigate the areas that’ll provide the

biggest impact

NOTE: This might not be possible in your current situation – you might have to make a

change to avoid historical perspectives and perceptions about you




Start with:

• The Action‐Observation‐Reflection (AOR) Model as one way to conceptualize how one can enhance leadership development.

• It is recommended that you start a journal and refer back to it periodically




Action:

• What did you do?

Observation:

• What happened (i.e., results, impact on others, etc.)?

Reflection:

• How do you look at it now?

• How do you feel about it?

• What would you do differently next time you are confronted with a similar situation and/or followers?

Source: Leadership by Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy



Take The Leadership Challenge(Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner; 2007):

• Model the Way

• Inspire a Shared Vision

• Challenge the Process

• Enable Others to Act

• Encourage the Heart




Model the Way

• You must have credibility

• Consistency of action and behavior

• Dual focus on values – the way to do things and the way to get there

• Set the example – every day




Inspire a Shared Vision

• Envision the end result

• Share that vision

• Paint a positive picture of the future

• Enlist the team in realizing that vision by appealing to shared aspirations





Challenge the Process

• Look and step outside of the box

• Challenge assumptions

• Step forward to get things done

• Search for opportunities to do things other than the way things have always been done

• Remove the NIH syndrome



Enable Others to Act

• Build relationships with everyone

• Empower people to act! – not just lip service

• Share power

• Create a sense of ownership




Encourage the Heart

• Recognize contribution and reward excellence

• Celebrate victories

• Create a sense of community – we’re all in this together

• Have fun




Step 6 – Change Roadmap Resources



Obtain The Leadership Practices Inventory to establish a baseline for

yourself:

http://www.lpionline.com/

Take the Jung Typology Test at – this is a Meyers‐Briggs type test:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi‐win/JTypes2.asp

Step 6 – Change roadmap Resources

http://www.lpionline.com/

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp



Go to the

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/5/j5j/IPIP/

International Personality Item Pool and take the either the long version or the short version of the assessment ‐ your choice.

An explanation of this personality test can be found athttp://ipip.ori.org


http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/5/j5j/IPIP/

http://ipip.ori.org/



The assessments are designed for you to find out about

• The better your picture of you, the better your chance of making the appropriate changes to get you from where you are to where you want to go......

• These are just a few of the instruments available for you get a baseline reading of you and allow you start on the road to a better career




• The Leadership Challenge, 3rd Edition. Kouzes, Posner. Jossey‐Bass. 2007.

• Leadership – Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy. Irwin‐McGraw‐Hill. 2006.

• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler. McGraw Hill. 2002.

References and books you may want to read NOW!




• Influencer: The Power to Change Anything by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, and Ron McMillan. McGraw Hill. 2007.

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Free Press. 2004.

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni. Jossey‐Bass. 2002.



• Silos, Politics and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors by Patrick M. Lencioni. Jossey‐Bass. 2006.

• Hardwiring Excellence: Purpose, Worthwhile Work, Making a Difference. by Quint Studer . Fire Starter Publishing. 2004

• The 21 Indispensible Qualities of a Leader. John C. Maxwell. Thomas Nelson. 2007.




• The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni. Jossey‐Bass. 2000.

• Learning to Lead by Warren Bennis, Joan Goldsmith. Basic Books. 2003.

• The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook by Peter Senge, et al. Doubleday Business. 1994

• A Leader's Legacy by Kouzes and Posner. Jossey‐Bass. 2006.




• Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard E. Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. Harvard Business School Press.2004.

• Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers: The People Skills You Need to Achieve Outstanding Results by Anthony C. Mersino. AMACOM. 2007.




Questions



Contact Information

Name: W. Don Gottwald

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1‐888‐227‐3552 Ext. 6118

Session #: PDS08

mailto:[email protected]

influence without authority€¦ · · 2008-10-23• your personal effectiveness in achieving...

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