196 Project Management
processing systems, procurement or purchasing systems,
inventory-tracking systems, manufacturing systems, and possi-
bly even project management systems in the form of scheduling
or cost reporting systems. You need to understand which (if
any) of these systems are relevant to your project. As with poli-
cies and procedures, you’re ordinarily expected to use the sys-
tems in which your organization has invested so much money.
Culture and Politics
This interface has been mentioned many times throughout this
book—for good reason. A project manager who does not under-
stand or chooses to discount the impact that the organizational
culture or political environment may have on the project is des-
tined to a life of mediocrity at best. You need to be aware of cul-
tural and political elements and seek to understand them. The
following questions may help:
- How do various groups feel about project management?
- Who are the real decision-makers in any given situation?
- What kind of results tends to get positive recognition
and rewards? - Why do these two departments hate one another?
- Which members of management can make things hap-
pen and which just blow hot air? - What can I get away with?
- What types of behaviors and attitudes are valued around
here?
Being politically astute is not the same as “sucking up.” It
means such things as knowing who to see in case of trouble,
knowing the boundaries of appropriate risk-taking, figuring out
who will support you and who won’t, and keeping key players
informed.
Special Considerations in Interface Management
In addition to identifying, understanding, and properly handling
specific interfaces, there are a few special issues you should
consider with regard to interfaces.