If somebody thought that introducing change in an organization was a piece of cake he was wrong. Proposing and implementing changes are the most challenging tasks of any Project Manager’s job. A Project Manager is a person who is responsible for a specific project. Let us take a look at what his role was about half 40 years ago and how important he is now.
A word on the various Organizational Structures
I remember when I was studying the subject “Organizations and Principles of Management” during my post graduation there was a whole section describing the different forms of Organizations. I have to confess that the forms of Organizations easiest to understand were the traditional ones (Line-Staff Structures) which described a typical one boss-few subordinates situation with specific role clarity, a line of command and hierarchical setting. Somehow, that form of organizational structure could never keep up with the changing tide of business practices and, now, is limited to small firms only. As time changed, newer forms of organizations were proposed by management scientists and theorists. I also read about organizational structures based on functions and departments. Later, I remember reading about how traditional organizational structures were ‘restructured’ to evolve into modern structures. Some of the fancy terms used were Matrix Form and Project Form. I never really realized the significance of these structures till I developed deep interest in the subject of Change Management.
Project Form of Organizational Structure
The project form of Organizational structures were proposed as an offshoot to the traditional forms of organizations and offered more flexibility within the realms of the corporate culture. In these a Project Manager has a start-to-finish role in planning, organizing and finally completing a project. Ideally, he is responsible for working on different projects, which have different purposes and have a different resource list to be used. Organizations are increasingly working on a project basis. The basic principle underpinning a project form of organizational structure is that it has a higher flexibility and produces a variety of final products and services.
The Project Manager
While there was no Project Manager in the traditional forms of organizations there is no organization today which does not work on a Project basis. Whether an organization is changing towards Project form of operating or simply including Projects in the traditional form of organization, the role of a Project Manager is important.
The popularity of Project Management has lead to unsettling the traditional forms of organizations and the Project Manager is increasingly thinking on the following lines:
- Each project means new plans, new resources, new deadlines, new specifics. How do I cope with so many variables?
- Every project may not mean that I have the best people to work with me, the best resources on my checklist and the best budget. How do I cope with these constraints?
- Each project means that I have to face resistance to change from the people with whom I work as they do not like frequent changes. How do I deal with this?
In every scenario above, there is one thing common and that is change: change of plans, change of resources, change of man power, and change of budget. The most critical part is dealing with the human element. If the project manager also has to be a leader in introducing and experimenting with new changes related to his project, he has to be very careful.
Here are a few tips for project managers dealing with making changes in their organizations:
1. Commit to the leadership and have faith in the change initiatives that you are proposing.
2. Establish clear-cut lines of communication with your team. It is better to share information of any future changes with them rather than take them by surprise.
3. Make your team members happy. Happy employees are productive employees.
4. Kill ambiguity. If there is an environment of continuous mystery of what to expect next, there is a negative impact on productivity of employees. People should know what to expect, even if that means a layoff!
5. Do not force changes and do not expect wonders to happen in a few days. Make a timeline and review progress with patience.
Possibly, the most special aspect of being a Project Manager is to discover n number of changes to work with. The role of a Project Manager is critical when it deals with making changes to the organizations. So long as he has conviction in what he is doing and the change itself is in tune with the corporate culture, nothing should go wrong.
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