Executive Summary
The success of project management heavily depends on support from senior leadership. Project managers are responsible for planning, executing, and overseeing tasks to ensure project completion, but without active involvement and endorsement from senior leaders, even the best-laid plans are prone to challenges. Senior leaders are instrumental in setting expectations, providing resources, and fostering an environment that encourages accountability, all of which empower project managers to fulfill their roles effectively. This paper examines why project managers cannot fully implement project tasks unless senior managers actively engage and uphold their role in setting strategic expectations, aligning teams, and reinforcing accountability.
Introduction
Project managers play a vital role in delivering projects that align with organizational objectives, but they rely on the cooperation, guidance, and support of senior management to perform their duties effectively. When senior managers fail to uphold responsibilities such as setting clear expectations, providing necessary resources, and aligning the team’s goals with broader organizational priorities, project managers face significant obstacles. This follow-up paper explores the impacts of senior management's actions (or inaction) on project management effectiveness, referencing concepts from PMI’s PMBOK guide and the PROSCI ADKAR model for organizational change.
The Senior Management Foundation for Project Success
For project managers to execute tasks successfully, senior managers must establish a supportive environment with clear expectations and strategic alignment. Without this foundation, project managers encounter challenges that compromise timelines, resource allocation, and team motivation.
Key Areas Where Senior Managers Must Lead
Setting Expectations and Vision
Implications for Project Managers: If senior leaders do not set and communicate clear expectations for the project’s purpose, scope, and success criteria, project managers are left without a strong guiding framework. This often results in confusion about priorities, misaligned goals, and reduced buy-in from team members.
Impact on Project Implementation: A lack of clear direction makes it difficult for project managers to plan effectively, leading to scope creep, poorly defined deliverables, and miscommunication among team members.
Providing Resources and Support
Implications for Project Managers: Senior management is responsible for allocating sufficient resources—budget, personnel, and tools. If these resources are inadequate or inconsistently supplied, project managers struggle to meet objectives, resulting in delayed timelines and quality issues.
Impact on Project Implementation: Resource constraints lead to inefficiencies, forcing project managers to constantly readjust schedules and risk project delays or cost overruns.
Aligning Teams with Organizational Goals
Implications for Project Managers: Without senior leadership's alignment efforts, teams may lack understanding of how their work contributes to broader organizational goals. This can lead to disengagement, as team members may not see the strategic relevance of their tasks.
Impact on Project Implementation: Misalignment reduces motivation and can lead to conflicts over priorities, making it difficult for project managers to maintain focus and momentum in the team.
Reinforcing Accountability and Recognizing Achievements
Implications for Project Managers: Accountability and recognition from senior leadership foster an environment of commitment and dedication. If leaders fail to reinforce accountability, team members may not feel compelled to deliver high-quality work.
Impact on Project Implementation: Without accountability, project standards are likely to slip, leading to lower-quality outputs, delays, and a weakened sense of responsibility within the team.
The Role of Senior Leadership in PROSCI ADKAR and PMBOK Guide
The ADKAR model and PMBOK guide highlight the need for senior managers to set a tone of clarity, alignment, and continuous reinforcement, which project managers can build upon for effective implementation. Below are specific ways senior leaders enable project managers in these frameworks:
In ADKAR: Supporting Change Initiatives
Awareness and Desire: Senior leaders must communicate the purpose and benefits of change, fostering desire across teams. Without this, project managers encounter resistance, as team members may not fully understand the change’s value.
Knowledge and Ability: Leadership must prioritize knowledge-sharing and skill development, ensuring project managers have a capable team.
Reinforcement: Senior managers who reinforce expectations encourage sustained effort and adherence to project goals, critical for consistent project outcomes.
In PMBOK: Facilitating Project Phases
Initiation: Senior leaders set the stage by clarifying project objectives and aligning them with strategic priorities. Project managers can then develop a scope aligned with organizational goals.
Planning and Execution: Senior managers must ensure resource availability and team alignment, allowing project managers to execute tasks effectively.
Monitoring and Controlling: Senior leaders’ commitment to accountability reinforces project controls, helping project managers address issues as they arise.
Closing: When senior managers support evaluations, project managers can extract lessons learned and contribute to continuous improvement, benefiting future projects.
Consequences of Inadequate Senior Leadership Support
When senior management does not fulfill these responsibilities, project managers face various barriers that hinder successful implementation:
Reduced Team Morale and Engagement: Without senior leadership setting a positive example, teams may feel unsupported or undervalued, reducing their motivation to achieve high standards.
Increased Project Risks and Uncertainty: Lack of resource commitment or clarity from senior management increases the likelihood of project risks, delays, and cost overruns, making it difficult for project managers to maintain stability.
Poor Change Adoption: Without leadership reinforcement, change initiatives tied to projects may fail, reducing the impact of the project on organizational objectives.
Misalignment with Strategic Goals: Projects that do not align with strategic objectives are less likely to deliver meaningful value, leading to wasted time and resources.
Senior Leadership Best Practices for Supporting Project Managers
To create a supportive environment, senior leaders should adhere to the following best practices:
Establish Clear, Aligned Expectations: Senior managers should articulate the project’s strategic importance, establish clear objectives, and communicate these expectations consistently.
Provide Adequate Resources: Commitment to providing the necessary resources is vital. Senior managers should anticipate project needs and proactively support project managers in resource allocation.
Foster Open Communication: Senior leaders should maintain open lines of communication, providing guidance and feedback to ensure project managers can navigate challenges.
Reinforce Accountability and Recognize Achievements: By holding teams accountable and recognizing their efforts, senior leaders promote a culture of responsibility and pride in performance.
Conclusion
Project managers depend on senior leadership’s support to implement tasks successfully. Without a foundation of clear expectations, resource commitment, and aligned goals set by senior managers, project managers cannot execute effectively, leading to compromised project outcomes. Active engagement from senior leaders ensures that project managers have the necessary tools, clarity, and support to drive projects to successful completion, aligning with both organizational objectives and project management best practices outlined in the ADKAR model and PMBOK guide.
For an organization to realize the full potential of its projects, senior management must act as enablers, providing project managers with the guidance, resources, and structure needed to succeed. This commitment strengthens the organization’s project capabilities, driving sustained growth and adaptability in a constantly changing business environment.
About the Author: Jamison Smith is a Retired Fire Captain from Los Angeles County Fire
Department, a Project Management Professional (PMP), with 7 years Managing projects and 10 years Program Manager in public safety, software, communications, enterprise implementations, and product development. He has used his PMP tools as well as Lean Six Sigma Black Belt methodologies to not only see projects through completion but reduce waste and increase personnel efficiencies through Lean Six Sigma methodologies. He brings this experience to the world of Change Management with Jamison & Associates Organizational Change Management consulting.
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