A blog to offer ideas, suggestions and techniques to turn around or fix troubled or failed IT projects

Project Manager Suggestions For Reducing Resistance and Concerns

by Mark Davison October 19. 2011 10:37

Probe for objections – ask for concerns and what might be in the way of getting to the next step (i.e., action, decision, recommendation, approval, etc.)
Listen carefully – as others express their concerns, make notes, wait to respond until others have finished talking
Avoid arguments – remain level headed and reasonable at all times
Let other know you understand – when others express their concerns, make statements like “I understand” or “I appreciate” to convey your comprehension and empathy
Use I statements to respond – start with “I understand” to demonstrate you understand how others feel about the concerns
Share the other experiences – share how others feel about similar concerns, and other experiences you’ve had
Seek clarification – if others make general statements, ask for examples to more clearly understand the issue
Understand the facts – introduce facts to clarify where opinions and feelings may have created inaccuracies in perceptions
Don’t leave anything unaddressed – don’t let any concerns or objections linger – when it appears that all concerns have been expressed ask for “anything else” to be sure nothing is left unsaid
It’s not personal – differences of opinion offer opportunities to work on solutions; “no” rather than “yes” may indicate the lack of sufficient information to make a decision rather than a personal rejection, figure out the right path forward

Tags:

Project Lessons Learned – Part 2 Project Execution and DeliveryProject Lessons Learned – Part 2 Project Execution and Delivery Almost all of our projects b...You’re the New PM – Suggestions for Taking Over a Troubled IT ProjectMeet the team and stakeholders, conduct a rapid review of the current status and problems, and prepa...A Checklist for the Manager Who Fixes Troubled Projects1. Identify the "fix it" target(s) - those areas or activities that need to be changed2. ...

Add comment

Name*
E-mail*
Website
Country Country flag

b i u quote

Notify me when new comments are added

5+5 =

ATLANTA - CHICAGO - DETROIT

Acquisition Due Diligence and Integration	IT Strategy
Acquisition Integration and Carve Out Leadership	Complex Business Change and Program Management
Business Operations Improvement	Sourcing Strategy and Vendor Management
Cost Optimization	IT Effectiveness
Interim CXO

Thank you