Comments on: The (Ironically) Hateful Cycle of Apathy

By: PPM Community - Programme and Project Management Community Blogs

PPM Community - Programme and Project Management Community Blogs — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:24:10 +0000

[...] The (Ironically) Hateful Cycle of Apathy [...]

By: samadaidane

samadaidane — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:07:42 +0000

Geoff, Derek,

I definitely think that bullying and intimidation, in the context of projects, would be an interesting topic to explore further in the future. I think it is another problem that leads to the Cycle of Apathy.

I don’t see enough discussion of impact of this issue on projects and the role of the PM in dealing with it. I think PMs are in a tough position when faced with this dynamic on their projects. While there is lots of guidance on this topic for functional and line managers, there isn’t much out there for project managers to help their team members.

I look forward to future discussions.

Thanks guys.

By: Derek Huether, PMP

Derek Huether, PMP — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:49:17 +0000

I have to clarify the superiors I was referencing weren't necessarily bullying. They would just abuse their position of power and then would never take responsibility for bad decisions they may have made. Additionally, they would never give credit to those who made the impossible possible. Perhaps that's even worse than a bully. The management team I work with now is much more realistic. They may not always agree with me, but I do believe they listen.

Excellent post, Geoff. It was very thought provoking

By: PapercutPM

PapercutPM — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:28:12 +0000

I've been in your shoes Derek, and know exactly what that's like. I will absolutely agree with you that standing by your convictions is the best thing you can do in that situation. The alternative, especially for a leader, is to go down a dark road of second guessing yourself. No good can ultimately come of that even though it sometimes appears to be the path of least resistance in the short term.

I'm glad you held your ground and displayed your integrity for all to see. People will trust you, and while project people appear fickle (they move on to other things after a project is done), they will remember.

Once again we have a comment that references bullying. When I wrote this article I had one person in mind who was tough as nails, and very demanding, but fair. That may not be a trait you have to deal with in your senior stakeholders...I think it's worth another blog post that explores bullying and conflict management.

By: Derek Huether, PMP

Derek Huether, PMP — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:10:35 +0000

This post struck a cord with me. At my previous engagement, the Engineering Department was used to being railroaded by management. Promises were always made on their behalf and they found themselves working long hours and weekends. If they didn't make the goals, those who made the promises would never take ownership. If goals were made, they jumped into the spotlight. After I was brought on board, I didn't have a problem looking a Director or CIO right in the eye and telling them I disagreed with them. Sometimes they backed down; Sometimes they didn't. But everyone at that company knew I was honest and would speak up if I didn't agree with something. Everyone knew I was looking out for my people, my department, and my company. I believe positive change rolls up hill, just as sh*t rolls down. Though I “resigned” my position, I have no regrets. Those who bullied so many are no longer there either. I think that's just Karma. Though there was an attempt to silence my voice by decapitating my team, others in the organization saw through the ruse.

I think sticking your head out is worth the risk. By doing it, people will trust you. With trust, people will do anything for you. With that, anything is possible. What can I say, everyone is happy but the party you had to confront in the first place. Yep, it's certainly worth it.

By: PapercutPM

PapercutPM — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:01:53 +0000

Your perspective is interesting. I was coming at this post from the point of view of someone watching people NOT stand up for others, taking more of a “not my problem” position. I wasn't considering the flip side of the coin, those people who make sticking your neck out a threat.

I think there's a continuum here that's worth exploring. I may do so in another post.

By: samadaidane

samadaidane — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:44:33 +0000

This is a very important topic Geoff and I am glad you are addressing it here.

We all know that a lot of bullying and abuse take place every day in the context of our projects, especially in projects and environments with lots of conflict.

I am always shocked by how ill-equipped most team members are in dealing with bullying and abuse. It should not be a surprise thought s not very many team members have the training to deal effectively with such dynamics, when they become a victims. It is extremely hard for them sometime to know what to do. And even when they know, they have a hard time summoning the courage to take action.

As project managers, too many of us don’t know how to help them and stand up for them or to the bullies.

The most obvious place we see this bullying and abuse is in meetings. It is not limited to meetings among team members but also those with other stakeholders like customers and vendors.

Unfortunately, too many PMs fail to exercise leadership and do the right thing. We see one of our team members being bullied in a meeting and we do nothing.

Actually, our number 1 priority as project managers is to create an environment where people can feel safe to speak up and express their ideas, no matter how silly or contrarian others might find them.

When we fail to do so, the result will be an environment where team members feel afraid to speak up. They will shut down and disengage from all future conversations. As a result, we will not have the benefits or their ideas and sometime one missed idea can mean the difference between success and failure for a project.