Office Politics and the Project Manager

Originally Published at Iowabiz.com in January, 2008

You are a project manager.

You have a project you want done.

You've made assignments and set the vision.

So why isn't anything happening?  It might be that your organization is a victim of office politics, a case of passive-aggression in your company.  I've written numerous articles on my blog about office politics, and many people have used GUST in their career planning strategies.  Want to read more on the subject?  Check out www.office-politics.com.

The one constant problem with office politics is that 1) most people start the conflict themselves without realizing it and 2) most people don't realize that they are involved in a game until it is too late.  Celine over at the Pimp Your Work blog shared a great post about what to do when your team loses.  Office politics can cost your company thousands of dollars, and when it rears its ugly head on your projects, Celine shares some things to do to help your team cope:

• Keep your spirits up
• Find out what you could've done better
• Show appreciation for everyone's efforts
• Focus on how well the team worked
• Look forward to the next challenge

As the business owner, if you have control over the circumstances that caused the loss, there are some additional things I'd like to suggest for you to do to mitigate the issue:

• Determine the motives of the perpetrators - it may be that the office politics prevented you from doing something really stupid.
• Figure out what can be salvaged - did office politics completely undermine your project?  Can anything be saved?
• Establish safeguards for the future - determine how to leverage accountability to ensure that accomplishment can still occur.  Remove those who prevented your success earlier.

Carpe Factum!

Frankenstein's Cubicle

Do you know who Bob Probst was?

Any guesses?

You may not like the answer.  Bob Probst is a "reluctant serial killer" of sorts.  Everyday, his creation sucks the souls and life out of countless professionals.  He was the Director of Research for Herman Miller, and (according to a research paper from my students) the man credited with creating the cubicle.  One of the ironies was that he originally called the prototype of the cubicle the "action office."  (OK, you in the 15th cubicle from the window, quit laughing so loudly.  You're disturbing the other 3,957 cubicle-dwellers on your floor.)  The other irony is that Bob spent the rest of his life regretting his creation, stating that he had never wanted the work environment to become hostile because of his creation.

As somebody who strives to seize the accomplishment, I just found this story interesting and had to share it.  For those of you sitting in cubicles right now, please try to find it in your hearts to forgive Bob.  He didn't mean it.  Really.

Y'all Come Back Now, Ya Hear?

Two blogs down, two to go.  OK, nothing like that, but two of the four blogs for whom I write either have ended or will end soon.  A while back, I mentioned I was going to be writing for processgeek.com for Troy Worman.  I exchanged emails with Troy last week about that website's demise.  It appears as though Iowabiz.com is coming to an end as well (change in strategy of our corporate sponsor).  Again, not surprising.  For Iowabiz, I'm actually going to be "recycling" many of my posts over here.  The readership on Iowabiz never really attained the same level as my readership, and (quite frankly) I wrote some pretty good stuff on project management over there, and I'd like to ensure it lives on somewhere.

In the process of "harvesting" my posts and migrating them from Iowabiz over to draft form in Carpe Factum for future publication, I started thinking about some of my own older work here on this site.  Posts I wrote months ago that were also "pretty good stuff" but never seemed to get much traction.  So I'm proposing a blogospheric recycling meme (besides, it's been a while since somebody did one of those annoying meme posts).

The question is this:  If I could select my top 5-10 posts which received little to no attention, what would they be?  So here are my top 10 never-been-commented-on-but-should-have blog posts (in no particular order):

1. Naming Conventions Gone Awry
2. Who Wrote That Autobiography Anyway?
3. Some Assembly Required... Or Else!
4. Is Your Rule Breaker Like Herbie or Christine?
5. What's Your Happy Fun Ball?
6. Multi-taskers: Take a Licking
7. Sure, It's a Pile
8. Friends, Romans, Countrymen:  Lend Me Your Rears
9. Racing Against Phantoms
10. Project Hokey-Pokey

So, I now tag Tammy Lenski, Chris Brown, Liz Strauss, Scot Herrick, and Phil Gerbyshak... what are your most under-appreciated posts?

Accomplishing Adventure

With the impending release of the new Indiana Jones flick coming up, I've been thinking a lot about adventure.  You know, the stuff you dream about when you're staring at the umpteenth spreadsheet in your gray cubicle.  What is your fantasy adventure?  OK, now what is your REAL adventure?  Your career adventure?  Your life blood adventure?

This past year has been an adventure for me.  I've traveled across the US speaking to some outstanding audiences and meeting some amazing people.  I've embedded myself into a SWAT team to research a book.  And I've helped launch the adventures of my students (which is what prompted this post).

In the leadership class I've taught this year at Drake, between 20-25% of my students have initiated a job change of some kind.  Some of them have quit their jobs outright, not quite knowing what their next step is but knowing that the current one was dead wrong for them.  I recently received an email from a student who came to the realization that she was not in love with her job.  Now, you may think that's an unrealistic expectation for anybody to have, but I would disagree with you wholeheartedly.

For the past three years, I've been haunted by the words of Steve Farber:  "Do what you love in the service of those who love what you do."  I can't seem to get those words out of my head.  It's the main reason I assigned his books to my leadership students (and probably the real reason why many of them are seeking their own great adventures).  When I create my task list in the morning, those are the words that serve as my Litmus Test for accomplishment... for love... for adventure.  I'm no longer "Tim Johnson - Consultant"; I'm the explorer in "Iowa Johnson and the Project of Doom"!  Numerous people have come up to me this past year with one common statement:  "It's so obvious that you love what you do."  Yeah, I do.  And it's a romance that I hope carries me to my dying day.

What about you?  Are you in love with your job?  Are you having an adventure?

Are You Flushing Your Message?

This past weekend at SOBCon, Kristen King advised us all (via Twitter) of an interesting issue.  There was a placard in the women's restroom advising people to turn off their lavalier microphones BEFORE using the facilities.  Sage advice.  The only problem was that the sign was posted on the inside of the bathroom door, so people didn't see it until exiting.  (By the way, thanks, Kristen, for humoring me by taking my camera into the women's room to capture this phenomenon... evidently the men in Chicago don't make this faux pas.)

Are you giving people warning messages at the right time and in the right way?  Are you posting the messages WHERE they'll see them and WHEN they'll need them?  I've seen too many professionals who "conveniently bury" critical messages.  I've seen others who have ignored those same messages.  So, how can we communicate better?

Before you deliver a message, use the military approach of HUA:

• Will the recipient HEAR the message?  How can I make them listen to it?
• What can I do to make them UNDERSTAND the message (both the content and the importance)?
• In what ways can they convey their ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the message?

And turn off your microphones in the restroom... PLEASE!

SOBCon08: Final Photo Mash-Up

Here are the final pictures from the conference this weekend.  Say what you want about blogging, it all boils down to people.

Dawud Miracle is one of the nicest guys on the blogosphere... and was born into a super-cool name that just destined him for greatness.

Joanna Young came all the way from Scotland... it was definitely "worth the trip" for all of us to meet her in person.

Stephen Smith AND Thomas Clifford in one picture!  Solar Powered Blogging Machines!!!  (Too bad we couldn't get Adam Kayce and Sim Margolis in the photo, also.)

Tammy Lenski and Chris Brown are two very bright and extremely pleasant ladies.  It's been an honor to get to know them over the past several months.  Time spent on their blogs is time well spent.  (And Tammy had a black-and-white Shih-Tzu also!)

Starbucker!  DUDE!

Wendy Piersall gives the best hugs of anybody.  I have about 362 days of withdrawal.

Summarizes what we bloggers are really all about.  Why we do what we do.  Why we come together to encourage each other and learn from each other.

Thanks, everybody, for an awe-inspiring weekend!!

SOBCon08: Saturday Recap

Great sessions yesterday.  One thing about social media that I value is that there's always something new to learn.  I appreciate that there are some amazing people who are willing to share their insights and expertise with us.

After Anita's great kickoff, we learned from Brian Clark about the importance of the three phases of blogging:  attention, authority, and acceleration.  Awesome!

Another valuable session was Chris Brogan, who is a phenomenal speaker (I'll be posting a LinkedIn recommendation for him in the near future).  His speech about pirates and passion was real and heart-felt.  After all, in the blogosphere, it really does boil down to people.

We ended the day with excellent talks from Liz Strauss herself as well as Wendy Piersall, whose story can penetrate the heart of even the crustiest blogger.

Last night was perfect for a gathering of bloggers at the Emerald Loop.  Now it's Sunday morning, and we'll be wrapping up.  More to come.

SOBCon08: Anita Bruzesse

Great kick off for a Saturday morning!  The very talented Anita Bruzesse, nationally syndicated columnist for Gannet News Service and USA Today, presented a powerful reminder for managing online reputation.  Her points were spot-on:

1. What sources do you use for your information?  Can you guarantee that it's correct?
2. Who is the source of your information and why are they sharing it?
3. Is the information credible?  How do you know?
4. Are you being fair?
5. How will you respond when you make a mistake?
6. What will be your response when someone criticizes or attacks you?
7. What comments will you ban and how will you encourage worthwhile comments?
8. How will you have an ongoing evaluation of your reputation?
9. What is your line in the sand?
10. Will you stand the test of time?  How

All wonderful reminders, Anita!  Thanks for sharing them with us.  We bloggers need to be held to the same standards as other journalists.  (P.S.  Read her book:  45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy)

SOBCon08: Separated at Mirth

I often joke that I've been so busy that I meet myself coming and going.  In that same vein, some kind of cosmic kismet (which is just fun to say) has occurred here at SOBCon08.  I've met my twin.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  We bald guys with goatees all look the same to you follicled people.  But this is just weird (in a good way).  I met Stephen Smith yesterday.  OK, we're actually a couple of years apart in age.  In addition to the similar appearance (and height, and body build), we use the exact same phone, use the same brand of camera, and have the same frightening sense of humor.

Someone once told me, "When they made you, Tim, they broke the mould.  And then they beat up the mould-maker and banished him from society."  (It was meant as a compliment, I'm sure.)  Well, the mould maker returned with a vengeance.

SOBCon08: First Night Recap

SOBCon08 does not disappoint.

Of course, what would any blogging event be without Phil?

Christine Kane kicked off our river cruise with some songs... wow, she's great!

Director Tom Clifford, Colleen Wainwright, and Dawud Miracle hang out on the top deck, enjoying the view of the Chicago skyline and and the great company.

Chris Cree prepares to hand out Klondike bars (private joke of those who attend open mic night).

More to come as the weekend progresses.