Guiding Quote

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” Einstein

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Project Managers and Bosses - Step Fathers

There’s an old saying “success as many fathers, failure dies an orphan”. But there’s a new version that arise from this age of divorce and remarriage. This is the step father response to badly behaving children, “There not my kids, there yours. You sort them out!” Also known as the Pontius Pilate response “I wash my hands of the whole affair”. Not for them, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”, more like, “when the going gets tough, the boss is already gone!”.
How do you manage this type of coward?
So step fathers share all the plaudits when matters are going great, but you find yourself very much on your own when things go poorly.
Step fathers are usually easy to spot in a corporate setting. Firstly, they are never whole heartedly for or against anything. They exhibit fence sitting ability that is almost Olympic standard. Politicians are their role model. Secondly, they usually have a track record of this type of behavior. More than one colleague will warn you about their propensity to go missing in action –MIA- when the going gets tough.
Having recognized them you commence binding them to the project from day one. Make sure all project decisions are approved by them; mention them in all minutes, notes, status reports. You have to tie them to the project tight than Ahab was tied to Moby Dick. Leave them no wriggle room, because these weasels will squeeze through any gap.

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