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138 March 2009 � Project Management Journal � DOI: 10.1002/pmj

“In this world nothing is certain but

death and taxes.” Were Benjamin

Franklin a modern-day project man-

ager he might instead proclaim, “In

projects nothing is certain but the inevitability

of politics and conflict.” Indeed, politics and

conflict are undeniable and inescapable real-

ities in the project environment regardless of

the size or location of the project. Ignoring

them can be hazardous for the project manager

and the project.

In Managing Politics and Conflict in

Projects, author Brian Irwin endeavors to help

project managers uncover ways to manage con-

flict constructively and use political play to

advance their goals by improving their soft skills.

“Usually, it’s not the . . . science of project man-

agement . . . that causes migraines and heart-

burn for project managers.” says Irwin. “Rather,

it’s the need for constant communication, negotiation, political

play, and influence,” or to put it another way, reliance on the soft

skills that are the essence of the art of project management.

Irwin’s book begins with a brief commentary on the art and

science of project management, followed by a straightforward

evaluation of some of the challenges inherent in the project envi-

ronment: communication, competition for resources, unclear

project goals, lack of power, and project globalization. These chal-

lenges are all the result of organizational politics, the cause of

project-related conflicts, or both. By addressing them in the first

chapter, Irwin provides context for the material discussed in the

subsequent chapters. The content here is fairly basic, suggesting

that the book is geared more toward students and novices of

project management than experienced practitioners, and that

Irwin intends to approach his subject matter broadly but not

deeply.

In the second chapter, Irwin makes an important distinction

between “positive” and “negative” politics. He provides broad

overviews of organizational culture, project manager as an agent of

change, and political self-awareness, which includes a couple

of nine-question quizzes enabling the reader to do a quick self-

assessment. Similarly, in the third chapter, Irwin highlights

the difference between “constructive” and “destructive” conflict.

He briefly addresses the necessity of proj-

ect conflict, sources of conflict in project

groups, and conflict resolution modes. Both

chapters contain practical advice—tips and

topic-related techniques—that can be “put

to immediate use.” Although these two

chapters provide only cursory overviews of

organizational politics and conflict, they are

ostensibly the underpinnings for the materi-

al in the rest of the book.

Irwin devotes a chapter each to commu-

nication, negotiation, multidirectional rela-

tionship management, political strategy, and

leadership. These chapters, which focus on

the soft skills pertinent to the particular topic

discussed, have been “written so each can be

read independently as needed.” Here again,

tips and topic-related techniques have been

included in each chapter. These are presum-

ably “best practices” for managing politics and conflict in proj-

ects that Irwin has drawn from his own project management

experiences. Some, while practical, are fairly obvious and are

likely to be techniques that novice project managers are already

doing. Others sound good in theory but might prove impractical,

if not irrelevant, in real-life situations.

To illustrate the topics discussed in each chapter, Irwin has

woven a running fictional case study into the book. The case

study is somewhat contrived and, at times, a bit melodramatic.

But it does focus attention on some of the political issues and

conflicts typically encountered in projects and it shows how

Irwin’s tips and techniques can be used to deal with them. The

real value-add of the case study is that it showcases how benefi-

cial a mentor can be to a project manager. This is a great take-

away for students, novices, and seasoned practitioners alike.

Managing Politics and Conflict in Projects tackles the rather

weighty issues of politics and conflict in the project environ-

ment. It is not the first book to do so, nor does it add to the exist-

ing literature in any unique or compelling way. Given the

author’s basic and sometimes flimsy treatment of the subject

matter, the book is unlikely to appeal widely to experienced

practitioners. However, precisely because it does approach rela-

tively complex topics in an undemanding and uncomplicated

way, the book might be of interest to students and novices.

Reviewed by Risto Gladden, PMP, MSc (Project Management), a projectmanager for Finantix, Ltd., in the United Kingdom.

Managing Politics and Conflict in Projectsby Brian Irwin

Management Concepts, 2008, ISBN:9781567262216, softcover, 210 pp.,$29.00 list price.

Project Management Journal, Vol. 40, No. 1, 138© 2009 by the Project Management InstitutePublished online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com)DOI: 10.1002/pmj.20101