20 Democracy
Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. In project management, democracy has to do with how decisions are made on the project team. Generally, you want people on the project to contribute their ideas without diluting the project manager’s responsibility or leadership.
The Sin
Democracy is fairly common in project management. Engaging everyone on the project team can be very effective in gaining their commitment. When everyone’s voice is heard, the team benefits from a diversity of opinions and is often able to come up with innovative solutions to problems. However, the democratic process of voting entails the risk of making the wrong decision because not everyone sees the project in its entirety. The project manager has the higher level view of how all the pieces fit together.
Democracy also raises the issue of the “fair” way to make a decision. For example, if the makeup of the project team is heavily skewed toward sales and only one person represents finance, should the finance representative’s vote count for more? For certain types of decisions but not others?
Democracy is most destructive at the stage in a project when complex decisions must be made. Project teams can usually agree on the easy decisions that are clear-cut, don’t involve much controversy, or have limited options.
A Case of Democracy
I was involved with a project that covered a 12-month planning period prior to the event. I had worked on projects like this before and had the advantage of several after-action reviews that had been completed on predecessor projects. The event was the same as we had planned in the past, the location was the same, and many of the project team members were veterans of prior projects. The one new ingredient was the project manager. On the surface, he seemed to be very qualified, with the right skills and experience to manage the project. Unfortunately, he just did not want to make decisions.
From the start, the team would meet to discuss certain aspects of the project; after everyone had their say, we would vote on what route to take. Initially, this path was promising because the project team members all felt they had ownership in the direction of the project. However, on the first difficult decision we faced, the project team could not reach consensus and discussions ended in a stalemate. We returned to discuss and negotiate the issue several times but were not able to resolve differences, make a decision, and move forward.
Our inability to reach consensus and the project manager’s inability to make a decision delayed the project several weeks; successor tasks that were dependent on us resolving our differences were also delayed. Teamwork suffered as factions started to blame each other for holding up the decision. Finally, when it became apparent that the project was mired in stalemate and the project manager was unwilling to make a decision, he was replaced and the project was able to move forward.
Danger Sign
An early danger sign of democracy on a project is the project manager’s tendency to defer to the wishes of the project team. It is the project manager’s job to solicit all relevant points of view on an issue and then make the best decision in terms of the overall project goal.
Solutions
The choice of a project manager is critical. The project team members are usually specialists in their area or field; the project manager must have a 360-degree view of the project and be able to make informed decisions. The project manager has to be decisive and make the right decisions at the right time. Key ingredients are having an intellectual curiosity that leads to asking the right questions and being an active listener when the response is given.
Tips for Managing Democracy
Consider leadership skills when selecting a project manager.
Consult your team for information and then, as project manager, make the best decision.
Engage the team to support the decisions you have made.