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Promotion of Expert May Be Harmful to Team Harmony
A question from a PMI member came into the Community Post suggestion box referring to situations caused by subject matter experts who are promoted to managerial roles.
The member noted that some of these promoted experts, who may have been developers and technical leaders in their past positions, might view team suggestions as threats to their authority. They can become sources of conflict if they do not accept better ways to manage their projects or respect their team members’ opinions.
What can a team member do in situations like these? It is very important to speak up. Ask the leader early in the project what process is going to be used to make a decision.
While some decisions might need to be made quickly, an “expert” leader who uses his or her position to overly influence decisions will not gain commitment from the team for the decision—just compliance.
If team members are not permitted to contribute to a decision, a project team is reduced to a group of people that have been formed to implement a series of tasks. Innovation and creativity will be greatly restricted.
In situations where the leader is dominating and not promoting teamwork, team members must be assertive, not aggressive, to influence the team as required. Assertive means making sure the leader understands your opinion whether he or she agrees or not; aggressive communication implies one choice: “I win, you lose.”
Each member of the team should tell the leader and the other teammates what knowledge and skills they possess. Team members’ skills should be used to help make the correct decisions.
It might also pay to discuss the situation with company management. Tell other executives that the team is not being allowed to participate in the decision-making process and that this might be a critical factor in the success or failure of the project.
If you are the one who gains subject matter expertise and gets promoted to project manager, remember to walk in their shoes — in other words, to imagine yourself in your team members’ places. A true leader first identifies what he or she does not know. Don’t allow your expertise to overshadow your career or your team.
Promotion of Expert May Be Harmful to Team Harmony
A question from a PMI member came into the Community Post suggestion box referring to situations caused by subject matter experts who are promoted to managerial roles.
The member noted that some of these promoted experts, who may have been developers and technical leaders in their past positions, might view team suggestions as threats to their authority. They can become sources of conflict if they do not accept better ways to manage their projects or respect their team members’ opinions.
What can a team member do in situations like these? It is very important to speak up. Ask the leader early in the project what process is going to be used to make a decision.
While some decisions might need to be made quickly, an “expert” leader who uses his or her position to overly influence decisions will not gain commitment from the team for the decision—just compliance.
If team members are not permitted to contribute to a decision, a project team is reduced to a group of people that have been formed to implement a series of tasks. Innovation and creativity will be greatly restricted.
In situations where the leader is dominating and not promoting teamwork, team members must be assertive, not aggressive, to influence the team as required. Assertive means making sure the leader understands your opinion whether he or she agrees or not; aggressive communication implies one choice: “I win, you lose.”
Each member of the team should tell the leader and the other teammates what knowledge and skills they possess. Team members’ skills should be used to help make the correct decisions.
It might also pay to discuss the situation with company management. Tell other executives that the team is not being allowed to participate in the decision-making process and that this might be a critical factor in the success or failure of the project.
If you are the one who gains subject matter expertise and gets promoted to project manager, remember to walk in their shoes — in other words, to imagine yourself in your team members’ places. A true leader first identifies what he or she does not know. Don’t allow your expertise to overshadow your career or your team.
