I recently posted a question in the LinkedIn group Project Management Link about how project managers juggle the needs of meeting a schedule versus taking suggestions from team members once the project has started (which could push the project back).  Here are the spectrum of responses:

Leaning Toward Schedule

“Managing projects involves different roles and skills of the project manager. As project manager you have to manage ALL stake holders, including your team AND meeting project objectives such as cost and schedules. One of the most important skills a project manager MUST have, is TEAM-INVOLVEMENT. However to answer your question, I also explain to my team that when the schedule is tight we have to apply the rule “NOT WRONG = GOOD”. So if someone comes up with a brilliant idea, but the schedule is tight and what we have will work, we DO NOT change. Finishing a project on time is important. Brilliant ideas are also important, but we have to try to get those ideas during the scoping phase of the project.” – Victor Hunt, Project Management Consultant

Leaning Toward Team Member Suggestions

“Project time-lines are usually aggressive, but if you don’t build a cohesive group, involve people in decisions, and manage people you are not going to get the support you need when the crunch invariably arrives.  By taking on-board comments/ ideas from your team will allow you to present meaningful ideas and solutions (you cant know everything) when it comes to change-management. With effective communication you CAN change the time line of a project to allow you to effectively deliver.  The biggest sin in PM work is to cut feature on a deliverable in the pursuit of meeting a timeline. I am always happy to dive into this challenge — and if you listen actively to your team you will present this as it happens (ie earlier on in the project) rather than waiting for the “by the way, we cant do x,y,z” as you get into the last 1/3rd of the project.” – Tom Magee, Project Manager

Where do you lie on this spectrum?

-Deborah Fike

P.S.  I found this observation (also from Victor Hunt) very insightful and worth mentioning:  “Be very aware that managing team members is not the same as pleasing all team members. Trying to please all team members can ruin your project.”

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