Effective Project Management

Section B Leadership and Motivation

“Leadership is that combination of persuasion, compulsion and example that makes men do what you want them to do.”

Field Marshall Slim, 1962.

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

George S. Patton.

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.”

Margaret Thatcher.

Remember that you are managing in a matrix organization. You, the project manager, define what you want done, and the functional managers are responsible for how the technology is performed. Thus, you have to lead and manage people over whom you have no authority.

The management team or contractor's preferred project management structure will tend towards a strong matrix/task force. This option is probably necessary in order to overcome the disadvantages of the design office environment. In the design office no one works directly for the project manager and they are surrounded by equally (or more) senior functional managers. Their power and influence is consequently somewhat diminished.

Where the pure task force does exist is at the installation group level. The installation manager does have responsibility for hiring and firing the resources and consequently they are seen to work for the manager more directly. This greater power base may explain why the construction management organization is often seen as more effective than the project management organization.