TEAM’S:

• Corporate culture:
• Project team.
• Underlying resentments.
• Differing agendas.

Passion:

• Team members have invested a significant part of their lives in this project and have acquired a sense of ownership with the project.
• Members may be extremely loyal to “their” project manager.
• Some team members equate the nurturing of a project to the rearing of a child.
• Project team members often exhibit great pride in their work.

Experience and knowledge. Possible significant philosophical differences may exist between you and team (or within the team)

Fear of:

• Skeptical of outsider (either known or unknown) involvement.
• Management retribution.
• Or resistance to change (everything was fine as it was) or of having no voice in the project’s future direction (they have ideas too); may attempt to undermine you
• Injury to professional reputation.
• Loss of cohesiveness/teamwork.
• Your reaction(s) to adverse feedback and objectivity.
• Loss of job/prestige/standard of living.
• Being “singled out” by you as the interviewer.

Confusion: what is your role relative to that of the project manager?

• Your level of authority/limits of your decision-making.
• Are you the project manager’s replacement?
• Oversight/advisory role?
• Your expectations (what you want from them).
• Are you now telling us what to do (may challenge your authority)?

* Curiosity: what’s in it for me (wiifm)? They really want to know ‘why’

• Your competence (experience/background/ paid your ‘dues’) as a project manager/overseer.
• Your understanding of the project’s situation. Especially how change could affect the project’s cost/schedule.
• Some may attempt to MISLEAD you, presenting you with a one-sided explanation instead of a more balanced perspective.
• Regardless of explanation, the team still may not receptive

For Challenged Projects: Four Steps to Improve the Situation