Organizational Anemia: How Project Managers Assist in Healing

by Michael Grant

“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”

As PMs, I think we at times forget that simply allowing a client to accept what’s in place as suitable should not negate our responsibility of bringing suggestions to the table that help shine a light on areas of improvement. Yes, the easier path to take is to simply do as contracted and take the money and run (no harm, no foul, as they say). Though it may be easier to simply execute the contracted work and move on, should we not also strive to identify and address inefficiencies when we see them?

The saying “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” may have held true back in the day, but failure to evolve, improve, or innovate nearly sunk Apple, and let’s not get started on other notables such as Kodak, Blackberry, Blockbuster, etc. Companies that rely on maintaining the status quo in how they go about their business just because it works and are simply focused on “checking boxes” eventually suffer a slow walk towards obscurity from what I would call “organizational anemia.”.

The need to inject new ‘blood’ in the form of ideas that could spur incremental improvements in their execution mindset should be part of any organization’s DNA. The unfortunate reality (in many cases) for contract PM’s is that coming into a client’s environment, contractors are seen as outsiders with the proffering of suggestions at best heard but not taken seriously, or at worst, having us shown the door depending on whose toes we may be treading on. 

So, what to do (if anything at all)?

It depends on a few things: your experience and (real-world) insights, personality, communication skills, emotional intelligence, understanding your client, and having situational awareness, amongst others. 

You can go in chest high, guns blazing, and assume a role that was NOT included in your contract, or be as Yoda and offer sage advice in a manner that doesn’t ruffle feathers and hopefully illuminates a dark corner of an organization’s cellar of bad habits.

The goal should be, as PM’s (whether it be contractors), to not only implement a solution but, where possible, leave a client in better shape than we found them (if they are open to change).

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this subject.