11 Close-Mindedness

Close-mindedness is intolerance of the beliefs and opinions of others; being stubbornly unreceptive to new ideas. In the context of project management, close-mindedness is the hallmark of the command-and-control project manager, who makes decisions unilaterally or with only one or two others who have similar views and perspectives.

The Sin

Unfortunately, close-mindedness is all too common on projects. Our inclination, and much of our training, is to manage projects using traditional reductionist, control-based methods.

The paradigm we use to manage projects goes something like this: If we can decompose the work effort into manageable chunks of work applying reductionism (which postulates that complex systems can be completely understood in terms of their components), we can reduce complexity and risk, develop a plan, and then execute and rigorously control changes to the plan. Once the plan is developed, the project manager inevitably becomes close-minded, not wanting any changes to derail the schedule. Even changes that add business value to the solution are viewed as “scope creep” rather than as new, improved ideas. The result is that project team members are treated as worker-bees who are expected to mindlessly build solution components within the schedule and budget constraints.

A Case of Close-mindedness

On a recent project, the project manager set herself up as the only one who talked to the client, isolating the team from involvement (see isolation). The project manager made decisions unilaterally or with only one or two like-minded team members. In addition, she became very controlling when working with both the client and the team; as a result, the team became dysfunctional (e.g., arguing, finger-pointing, isolating key members) and the client became more and more dissatisfied.

When issues were brought to the project manager’s attention, she was too close-minded to listen to concerns raised by the team members. Costs to the project included:

Poor morale, forced overtime, rework

Compromised quality of the deliverables due to last-minute delivery and refusal to involve all key players in quality reviews (see shoddy quality)

Lowered perception of the organization’s ability to manage projects well and ensure client satisfaction

Confused and disappointed client.

Danger Signs

Typically, close-mindedness is most destructive early in a project, when brainstorming, innovation, and creativity are needed to determine the most effective and feasible solution to the business problem. When all key project team members are involved in analyzing the business problem and opportunity, identifying solution options, and molding the most feasible approach, the project is likely to be off to a positive start. However, with a close-minded project manager who is uncomfortable with ambiguity, early project decisions are made in isolation to expedite the kickoff of project work. Then, as project team members begin to offer suggestions, the close-minded project manager is likely to be frustrated at the perceived lack of cooperation.

The most effective way to screen for close-mindedness is to ensure that individuals who are placed in project manager positions understand how to form, build, sustain, and lead a high-performing team. As leaders of teams, project managers need to understand the stages of team development in order to develop and use an appropriate management style. Command-and-control is almost never appropriate. Rather, a facilitative, consultative approach to leading a team will enable the most creative solutions to emerge. Leadership skills such as negotiation, conflict management, problem-solving, cost-benefit analysis, group decision-making, facilitation, and collaboration are critical, as is business-outcome thinking. In addition, when red flags emerge, management needs to be open-minded in its efforts to discover what is really happening.

Solutions

Project leader development must be considered carefully. Project management training and certification are essential, but only lay the foundation for performing project management activities. New project managers should serve in a support role, working with accomplished project professionals. In addition, on-the-job support and mentoring are essential for all project leadership roles.

To create a world-class project manager development program, a career path is a vital tool. Training courses and professional development opportunities can build the competencies and proficiencies needed to fulfill responsibilities at each level.

Project managers and other project team leaders (business analysts, architects, lead developers, business visionaries) working together collaboratively to deliver the most valuable business solution are needed to manage today’s complex projects. The close-mindedness of the traditional command-and-control version of project leadership can no longer be applied if we want to improve project performance and meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Tips for Addressing Close-mindedness

Have senior project managers serve as mentors to junior and intermediate project managers.

Establish project management forums or communities of practice where lessons learned and best practices can be shared and issues can be resolved in a collaborative environment.

Offer project management training accompanied by leadership, management, and team-building training.

Conduct workshops using actual projects as case studies on subjects such as strategic communication, managing cultural and political obstacles, managing change, and group decision-making.