A project manager’s fortunes can change in the blink of an eye. One minute employees can be working together and well on their way toward completing their latest assignment only to be hampered by an unforeseen problem. Our own Marie Larsen recently covered risk identification and how leaders can minimize potential threats to production. She also wrote about the common factors that lead to project failure, however there is one more element that should be included in both articles.
Specifically, how project heroics negatively affect initiatives. Over at TechRepublic, Andrew Makar recently wrote that this factor can lead to significant issues. Makar concludes that heroes are only successful in movies because their tactics typically don’t translate to the real world.
For instance, a manager may think it’s a great idea to move up the timetable in order to finish a project earlier than expected. Unfortunately, this is a faulty strategy, as it’ll overwhelm employees and cause them unnecessary stress.
Some heroes try to carry the load without any assistance. Makar personally dealt with this situation during a recent IT project. The lead developer would spend most of the day in meetings and then work until 2 a.m. writing code. Though concerns were raised regularly, the developer claimed to be working on-pace before ultimately failing to deliver anything close to a finished project.
Meanwhile, the rest of the staff had a rather easy time with their portion of a project. These employees came together and handled all of their responsibilities with aplomb. This is because no one tried to take the reins and play the hero.
Keeping heroes in check
Many professionals dream about being the hero someday. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, but some employees want to be seen as the person who went above and beyond to ensure that a project was done well and completed on time.
As demonstrated in Makar’s example, this attitude is problematic and can easily cause a disaster. No individual can complete a project on his or her own without a truly Herculean effort or some minor miracle.
Project managers need to nip heroic behavior in the bud to ensure that their assignments aren’t derailed by the actions of a single worker. Perhaps the best way to do this is by creating an incentive program that rewards teamwork instead of individual efforts.
A leader is only truly successful when his or her contributors work well together. If employees veer off in their own directions and refuse to listen to instructions, there’s a good chance that a project is doomed from the start.
Workers will find ways to collaborate if they know they’ll be rewarded for it. Project managers should think of prizes that would work well for large groups, such as special outings.
Combating heroic tendencies
What about when project managers are the ones who want to be heroes? In that case, it’s mostly up to those leaders to fight their instincts and stay on an even keel.
Figuring out whether you’re trying too hard or going above your station is somewhat simple. Think about what you’re actually responsible for on a day-to-day basis and then compare that list to what you want to accomplish. If you find that the former is shorter than the latter, you’re likely trying to act like Superman on this project.
Managers have to trust their employees and know that they’ll be able to handle their responsibilities. Contributors can finish their assignments on most occasions so they don’t necessarily need their bosses to come to the rescue for every little matter.
Are heroics always negative?
There are some special circumstances in which you’ll need to be a hero. This is mostly when there’s an extenuating circumstance, such as a client asking to move the deadline up or resources are unexpectedly limited.
The best managers are the ones who understand when to act like heroes and when to fade into the background. Knowing the difference between these two is the only way a supervisor can be successful in the long run.
Heroic strategies should only be used when a project is actively in danger. Otherwise, managers should allow their employees to do their jobs and thrive without constant assistance.
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