97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know

Chapter 93. You Are Not in Control

Patrick Kua

I REMEMBER ONE PROJECT TEAM I COACHED. The project manager obviously had a desire to be the central point of control. He had what appeared to be an almost obsessive need to be involved in all "critical" decision-making discussions. He would actively direct the daily stand-up meeting, and he alone would decide who got to talk during project retrospective rituals. The team he managed was actually well formed by the time I arrived, and I noticed with interest how the quality of discussions differed between those where the project manager was present and those where he was not.

When I talked to a few people on the team one on one, they confessed they hated all of the meetings the project manager would hold, because they just wanted them to be over. They felt like their time was being wasted, as their real opinions were not valued. They recounted times they said the things the project manager wanted to hear to get him to move on. When they had issues that needed addressing, they would go to the technical lead. He was more willing to be part of an open discussion and, therefore, was more effective at solving problems.

The lesson I learned from this team is that acting as if you control the situation is not the same thing as actually being in control. In fact, actively seeking control sometimes creates the opposite effect. An experienced, well-formed ...