3 Great Examples of Bad Project Management
The following stories are true; only the names have been changed to protect the (not so) innocent. There are a lot of good Project Managers out there, but there are also some not so good…no, there are some really bad Project Managers, who have, by hook and by crook, somehow ended up in a position of authority and reigned down their terror on those unfortunate enough to work under them.
Learn from the stories and stay away from any tendencies you may have to manage this way.
1. They “motivate” with Fear and Guilt
Terrible Project Managers manage people with two tools – fear and guilt. They have never heard of teamwork, self-empowerment, accomplishment and all those other crazy motivators that normal people use to get things done. They keep people in their place by threatening them with the consequences of what will happen if things don’t go their way. Or, they guilt trip people with a “woe is me” plea in the event they have to stay behind to get all the work done themselves. What they fail to mention is that the situation is due to poor project management on their part.
Jim was a Bully and Tattle-Tale. He acted like he never made it out of elementary school. His “team” would sit in his office and tell him what was going on. If he didn’t like what he heard, he would immediately run up to the executive suite and start throwing his OWN team under the bus. Pathetic.
2. They Work Stupid Hours
When I say stupid hours, I don’t mean stupid like 60, 70 or 80 hours a week. I mean stupid hours like Overnight, three days straight, sleep on the couch at the office stupid hours…and then blame everyone else for getting stuck doing it. It is a lack of discipline more than anything that puts them in this bind. Bad Project Managers focus on the wrong things all day long when the team is there and waste everyone’s time. Then, everyone leaves and they are left holding the proverbial bag that they need to finish themselves.
Suzanne kept a TV in her office on all day long. She was easily distracted and would watch the news nonstop. She said she needed it, that it helped her “focus” and get work done. Truthfully, it helped her do nothing but waste time and get nothing done. The team would come in the next morning and she would still be sitting there…pathetic, forlorn, and hungry from pulling an all-nighter to catch up on her work. Just plain stupid.
3. They are Inconsistent
You never know where you stand with these people. One day they are your best friend and talking about how well things are going, how things have really changed and that they appreciate what you are doing. The next day they are running up to the executive suite to throw you under the bus. You just don’t get it.
Jim was wonderful at trade shows. He loved talking to the customers and was upbeat and positive. He was everyone’s best friend and would float through the show as if he was on cloud nine. Unfortunately, his mouth wrote some checks that he just couldn’t cash when he got back to the office. He plummeted to the depths of despair and took it out on everyone within earshot.
A couple of questions come to mind when you think about Project Managers that are really not very good. First, how do they end up and stay in this position? I really don’t know. From what I have seen it has been more a function of WHO they know (they may be related to someone higher up) rather than WHAT they know. Next, what can you do if you are unfortunate enough to work with someone like this? If you don’t see an end in sight, I would recommend finding another position either within the existing company or elsewhere. There is no reason to be subjected to this type of ineptness on a daily basis. If you do see an end in sight, you can grin and bear it, knowing that it’s just a matter of time before things get better.
The reality is that at some point, with enough missed deadlines and complaints, somebody will say “enough!” and get rid of this person. In the meantime, just make sure you don’t have any of the qualities above and keep doing your job the best you can!
