People in Projects

The Challenge

Project management and management by projects have emerged as major trends in the ongoing search to improve performance in organizations. Some organizations have a long history of project-centered activity while others are new to it. My findings, based on anecdotal information from hundreds of functional and project managers attending project management seminars across the country, is that conflict between project managers and functional managers is common.

The organization’s challenge is to find a structure that suits its needs. Structure, the foundation for behavior, includes role and responsibility definitions, organizational boundaries, relationships, policies, procedures, and an effective reward system. In the context of project ...