Project Leadership

MPM7002

1
Week 5
 Power to influence and Resistance to
Change

2
Schedule
Sunday, 8.30
Introduction to Project Management to 12.30 –
Session 1 Chapters 1 & 2 November 05,
Leadership & Governance with Ethics
2023

Project Leadership and Leadership November 19,

Session 2 Chapters 3 & 5 2023
Behaviours and Skills
December 3,
Session 3 Leadership Theories and Styles Chapter 6 2023
December 10,
Session 4 Emotional Intelligence & Personality Traits Chapters 9 2023
December 17,
Session 5 Power to influence and Resistance to Change Chapter 7 & 8 2023

Chapters 12 & January 7 ,

Session 6 Project teams & Teams Vs. Groups 2024
13
Chapters 14 & January 14,
Session 7 Team Development Phases & Team Building 2024
15
Chapters 22 & January 21,
Session 8 Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving 2024
23
Session 9 Discussions on Assessments
3
Power to influence
 Project leadership is a process by which a
project manager can direct, guide and
influence the behavior of the project team
and participants towards accomplishing
the project objectives.
 The project leader’s challenge is to
identify the best mix of power to
influence methods that are appropriate
for the situation (the team members and
the project).
Power to influence
 There is a range of methods the project
manager can use to influence the project
team.
 It is, therefore, essential that the project
leader understands the characteristics
and features of ‘power to influence’ and is
able to manage the process.
What is Power to Influence?
 Leadership power refers to the ability the
project leader has to influence the
behavior of the team members and
stakeholders so that they are willing to
follow the leader.
 Leadership power to influence can be
subdivided into six areas
Legitimate Power
 Legitimate power is automatically
conferred on the project manager with
the appointment to the position, and this
gives the project manager the right to
issue instructions and use company
resources.
Coercive Power
 Coercive power is a power that is based
on fear.
 A project leader using coercive power
can make life very difficult for the team
members if they do not follow as the
leader demands.
 Team members working under a coercive
leader are unlikely to be committed, and
more likely to resist the leader.
Coercive Power

 Coercive power is usually presented as a

misuse of position power which is derived
from the project manager’s ability to
punish or take something away from the
team members, contractors and suppliers.
 Coercive power uses fear, the avoidance
of punishment and threats to influence
people’s behavior.
Coercive Power

 This might be seen as:

 Power not to reward.
 Power to threaten demotion.
 Power to withhold overtime.
 Power to limit salary increases.
 Power to transfer people to another job.
Reward Power
 Reward power is the opposite of coercive
power.
 Reward power is the project leader’s
ability to encourage the team to perform
based on the distribution of rewards that
the team members view as valuable.
Reward Power
 It is the ability to provide positive
reinforcement for the desired
performance.
 The rewards could be a salary increase,
an incentive bonus, share options, a job
promotion, an interesting assignment and
time off work.
 To be effective, the reward must properly
correspond to the team members’ values
and expectations.
Herzberg’s motivation and hygiene
factors
 Herzberg’s research found that people
respond very positively to:
 Feeling a sense of achievement.
 Recognition of their ability.
 Being assigned interesting work.
 Being delegated responsibility to
complete the work.
 Being promoted
Expert Power
 Expert power is based on the project
leader’s project-specific skills, knowledge
and ability to solve problems.
 The project leader’s project-related
competency earns respect from the team
members.
Expert Power
 Team members respect project managers
who know how to do the job; if any of
the team members hits a problem, they
know who to turn to for help.
 This is not only efficient for the project,
but also a comfort for the team member.
Referent Power
 Referent power is based on the project
leader’s desirable personal and
interpersonal traits.
 The project leader’s natural charisma,
powers of persuasion, rapport and humor
encourage the team members to follow.
Communication Power
 Communication power is based on the
project manager’s ability to control the
project’s lines of communication.
Communication Power
 As project managers are at the center of
the information and control system, they
are in an ideal position to capture,
process, file and disseminate (document
control) useful information.
 In this situation the project managers
derive power from having access to and
control of the project’s information.
Communication Power
 Reporting Power: The person who takes the
minutes at meetings, compiles the progress
reports, writes monthly reports or organizes
closeout reports will gain reporting power. It
is the project manager’s prerogative to
manage the writing, editing and circulation of
these documents.
 Appearance Power: As a book is judged by
its cover, so a person is judged by
appearance
Communication Power
 Speech Power: People are not only judged
by their appearance, but also by the way
they speak and, it is not only what they
say, but how eloquently they say it
 Body Language: The nonverbal side of
communication has a much greater
impact on the communication process
than most people realize.
Communication Power
 Presentation Power: Public speaking is
one of most people’s top hates, but if this
hurdle can be overcome and they use
dynamic presentations with supporting
visual aids, this will create a powerful
impact.
 Networking Power: The phrase, ‘It is not
what you know but who you know that
opens the doors of opportunity,’ can be
applied to project managers.
Communication Power
 Mentor Power: The ultimate useful
contact is a mentor, particularly a senior
person within the company, the client or
stakeholder.
What is Power to Influence?
 Six areas
1. Legitimate Power
2. Coercive Power
3. Reward Power
4. Expert Power
5. Referent Power
6. Communication Power
Matrix Organization Structure
 In the traditional functional organization
structure the project manager’s position
gave the project manager ‘position
authority’ to make decisions, place orders,
issue instructions and acquire resources
(from within the department) to achieve
the project’s objectives.
Matrix Organization Structure
 This approach worked well for projects
within a functional department, but as
companies changed to managing
multidiscipline projects through a matrix
organization structure, so the project
manager’s position authority diminished.
Matrix Organization Structure
 The project manager’s position within the
matrix structure enables the project
manager to coordinate the project work
between departments and between
contractors and suppliers.
Matrix Organization Structure
 But, at the same time, the matrix
structure removes the formal line
authority the project manager had over
the resources in a functional department
Matrix Organization Structure
 To address these changes in the new
project environment, project managers
are having to change their leadership style;
they need to adopt more of a negotiation
style of leadership with the functional
managers, and a more participative and
collaborative style of leadership with the
project team members.
Responsibility–Authority Gap
 The PMBOK defines Responsibility as: The
work that a project team member is
expected to perform in order to
complete the project’s activities.
 The PMBOK defines Authority as: The
right to apply project resources, make
decisions and sign approvals.
Responsibility–Authority Gap
 The first challenge the project manager
has to face, particularly in a matrix
organization structure, is being assigned
the responsibility to manage a project, but
not being given sufficient formal authority
and company resources
 This is called the responsibility–authority
gap.
Responsibility–Authority Gap
 Responsibility can be defined as feeling
obliged to perform the assigned work,
while authority can be defined as the
power to carry out the work.
 The responsibility–authority gap occurs
when the project manager is given
responsibility to carry out a job but does
not have sufficient formal authority to
issue instructions to acquire the
resources to make the work happen
Responsibility–Authority Gap
 The working culture of the company
might also be instrumental in causing the
responsibility– authority gap.
 If a company is not used to running
projects then the project will be seen as a
temporary event, and when it is finished
the company will revert back to the
normal functional organization structure.
Power to Influence
 Power may be defined as: The ability to
influence the decisions and actions of
others to help you accomplish the
project’s scope of work.
 The Oxford dictionary defines Influence
as:The effect a person has on another.
Power to Influence
 In the project context, the main
consideration is the project manager’s
power to influence the team members,
functional managers and other
stakeholders associated with the project
to help achieve the project’s goals.
Power to Influence
 Accountability: project managers are
accountable to the project sponsors who
appointed them. But, in an informal sense,
they are also accountable to the team
members from whom they have to earn
trust and respect to live up to the team
members’ expectations and lead the team
effectively.
Power to Influence
 Finite Power: Some managers see power
as a finite quantity, and if they were to
give any power to a subordinate through
delegation and empowerment, they would
reduce or diminish their own amount of
power. These types of project managers,
therefore, resist giving away any power.
Power to Influence
 Synergy Power: The opposite to finite
power is synergy power, where, by
delegating responsibility and
empowerment to experts within the
team, the project managers actually create
more power for themselves through the
team’s ability to perform the work more
quickly, more accurately and by making
better decisions.
Power to Influence
 Synergy Power: In this situation, success
lies not in the power the project
managers keep but in the power they
delegate to the people who could have
the greatest impact on the project.
Power to Influence
 Leadership Power: Leadership power, in
the project context, is the use of power
to influence the actions of the project
team members and other project
stakeholders to achieve their needs and
expectations, and also accomplish the
project’s goals and
Formal authority
 ‘Formal authority’, also called ‘legitimate
authority’ and ‘position power’,
automatically confers on the project
manager the right to make decisions, issue
instructions and use company resources
to carry out the project.
Formal authority
 The use of formal authority has changed.
Gone are the days of command and
control, and a better educated workforce
is not afraid to question its project
leaders’ instructions.
Resistance to Change
 Can be defined as: The action taken by
individuals and teams when they perceive
that a change that is occurring is a threat
to them.
 Resistance can take many forms, including
active or passive, overt or covert,
individual or organized, aggressive or
timid.
Resistance to Change
 Projects, by definition, are designed to
introduce some kind of change; perhaps a
new product or service, a new operating
environment or new facilities.
 There is much emphasis these days on
‘soft projects’ or projects that introduce
change within an organization, group or
society.
Resistance to Change
 These types of projects can be difficult for
people who have problems adapting to
changes; they can exhibit behaviors that
indicate a resistance to change.
Why is There Resistance to Change?
 Even though many changes are intended
to bring benefits, moving from a known,
familiar position to an unknown,
unfamiliar position can introduce feelings
of uncertainty, distrust and confusion.
Why is There Resistance to Change?
 Reasons for resistance to change by the
project team members can include:
 The fear of losing something they value.
 They don’t properly understand the
change and its implications.
 They don’t think that the change makes
sense. They find it difficult to respond to
the level or pace of the change
Why is There Resistance to Change?
 Change can specifically affect those who
are affected by the project: the users,
operators, clients and other stakeholders.
 Project managers need to be very aware
of how changes introduced by the project
can affect behaviors and attitudes to
project work
What is the Rationale for Resisting
the Change?
 People usually have their own rationale
for resistance because it is based upon
their own perceptions and beliefs about
the purpose and outcomes of the change
What is the Rationale for Resisting
the Change?
 If people are comfortable with the status
quo, the leader might need to introduce a
threat to the current situation that alters
or removes the current provision of
needs, making the current situation
uncomfortable and providing a reason for
people no longer to want to stay where
they are.
What is the Rationale for Resisting
the Change?
 Leaders of change need to carefully
consider the motivators, values and
beliefs of those stakeholders who might
resist the change.
 This information can then be used to
construct a change vision and plan that
will best meet their needs.
What Can the Leader do About
Resistance to Change?
 When resistance to change occurs, a well-
organized leader will recognize it early
and respond appropriately in a timely
fashion. A poor leader will be surprised
when the change mysteriously fails.
Recognizing Resistance to Change
 Leaders should respond to gossip and
rumor by providing valid information and
show they are listening to concerns and
taking them seriously.
 More focused action should be taken
when there are any attempts to organize
resistance.
What Can Leaders Focus On to
Promote Change?
 In order to help and support people
through change, leaders need to work
with people through a number of
important concepts and issues.
 The leader needs to ask important
questions to establish clarity and obtain
information about how people are
relating to the proposed change.
Beliefs
 Beliefs drive thought and behavior; if you
can understand a person’s beliefs, you can
help them through the change process.
Values
 Values guide and shape behavior, indicating
what is right and wrong, good and bad,
important and unimportant. Identifying
the values that people hold can suggest
what they will not do as much as what
they will do.
Goals
 Goals are established to help satisfy our
values and needs. Resistance to change
can be managed by identifying people’s
goals and how they are aff ected by
change.
Perception
 Perception is reality for some people,
even it if is not really true. Leaders should
attempt to understand how the change is
perceived – what do they think will
happen?
Negative Influence
 What are those people resisting change
likely to do to oppose the change?
 What power or authority do they have?
Triggers
 Triggers are the actions or events that
cause a person to take specification.
 What are the events that would cause a
person to take action against the change?
Ideas About How Change Happens
 A number of ideas and models are
available that help us to plan and scope a
change process.
 Here we will investigate three of the most
helpful models appropriate to leadership
in projects.
Elisabeth Kubler Ross: The Change
Transition Process
 The Kubler Ross model has been
developed into the Change Transition
Process which suggests that people
experience variation in moods and
feelings that affects their behavior and
ability to cope during a period of change
Double-Loop Learning
 When we experience such a challenge to
our paradigm, our learning is
compounded because we have to change
our view of the world in order to
accommodate our recent observation.
 Learning can often incorporate
unlearning; that is, we need to work to
forget something old at the same time as
we remember something new.
Everett Rogers – Diffusion of
Innovations
 How innovations diffuse into a
community can be considered an example
of a process of change.
 Innovations represent new ideas that can
be accepted or rejected, depending upon
the individual’s point-of-view.
 Some people are prepared to quickly
accept an innovation or change and
others are not.
Diffusion Roles
 Innovators:
 About 2% of the population are
innovators. They are usually curious about
ideas for their own sake and are able to
cope well with novelty and change.
Diffusion Roles
 Visionaries:
 About 11% of the population are
visionaries and have an entrepreneurial
spirit. They take ideas and shape them
into something that can be of use to
others.
Diffusion Roles
 Early Adopters:
 These represent about 38% of the
population. Early adopters are looking for
greater efficiency and effectiveness but
need to reduce risks through ‘social
validation’ of ideas provided by
visionaries.
Diffusion Roles
 Late Adopters:
 About 38% of the population are late
adopters. They do not welcome
disruption and require any change to be
painless
Diffusion Roles
 Laggards:
 About 11% of the population are laggards.
This is the remaining portion of the
community who would not overtly adopt
the innovation at any price.
 Rogers' diffusion for the innovation
adoption (Rogers Everett 1995)
Managing Change
 If followers cannot quickly come to terms
with the change, the leader must take
more focused action to assist progression
of change actions.
 Significantly, change takes time and
stamina.
Have a happy new year 2024…!
 Next Session 6
 Project teams & Teams Vs. Groups
 Chapters 12 & 13

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