Projects at Work

When Your World Is Flat

Project managers working in hierarchical environments can struggle when thrown into cultures with limited controls and informal processes. They need to adapt, encouraging the right amount of process to ensure success without threatening core values. Here are five areas where leadership skills can be leveraged to accomplish this tightrope act.


Laura Burford

Founder and Owner , LAD Enterprizes

Laura has over 25 years of domestic and international project management…

Consider the “flat organization.” It has few or no levels of management. It operates with open communication, informal processes and limited controls. Teams are empowered and encouraged to be collaborative, flexible and innovative. The flat organization’s leaders know that formal processes and controls can negatively impact the culture, which is at the core of the organization’s success. However, they also realize that having no processes and control can hinder the success of a project. They want a project manager who is flexible and can adapt to their environment; a leader who can implement the “right” amount of formality and control so that …



Please login or register below to read the rest of the article

Subscribers login here:

OR

Not a subscriber yet? Sign up here:

    You must have JavaScript and cookies enabled to use this website. Please enable javascript and refresh this page.
    How do I enable JavaScript in my browser? | How do I enable cookies in my browser?
  • First Name
    Last Name
  • Choose a password (at least 4 characters)
    Confirm your password
  • ProjectsAtWork is accredited under Return Path's Sender Score Certified™ Program. The Sender Score Certified Program helps to increase successful email delivery by requiring senders to adhere to a set of specific email standards. For more information, please see www.senderscorecertified.com.
  • please enter the text below:
  • You must have JavaScript and cookies enabled to use this website. Please enable javascript and refresh this page.
    How do I enable JavaScript in my browser? | How do I enable cookies in my browser?

ADVERTISEMENT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:


SPONSORS

EVENTS

Karen F: "So true, Peter. I think as teenagers we all believe our parents are stupid and a…" on Lost Leaders
June 18, 2013

peter d: "How true , we don't realise until too late the wisdom of older folk , until we l…" on Lost Leaders
June 18, 2013

Andrew A: "There are a lot of functions we do that we become complacent about. Like Wayne, …" on Waste Snakes, Investment Ladders
June 17, 2013

Andrew A: "I started using a variation of XPM and Agile back about 10 years ago in the desi…" on Let It Flow
June 17, 2013

 

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Dave Prior

Agile Consultant, BigVisible Solutions
Dave Prior, PMP, CST, MBA is an Agile Consultant for BigVisible where he…

Vincent McGevna

Principal, Vincent McGevna Consulting
Sr. Project Management Consultant and e-Learning Developer.

Wayne Grant

Scrum Master
I am a Scrum Master with a strong background in development and have a p…

Will Kelly

Freelance Technology Writer, Will Kelly Writes
Will Kelly got his start working in the information technology industry …

Janis Rizzuto

Contributing Editor, ProjectsAtWork
Janis has been writing for ProjectsAtWork for more than a decade, starti…

Aaron Smith

Editorial Director, ProjectsAtWork.com
Aaron has been the editor of ProjectsAtWork since 2001, leading its evol…

BLOGS

TOOLS & TRAINING

project management software
     

Changepoint helps businesses gain competitive advantage and increase profitability through complete portfolio visibility, planning insight, process automation, and improved resource utilization throughout a customer’s lifecycle.

project management software
     

Project Insight, project and portfolio management software, is powerful for project managers, and easy for team members to learn and adopt.

project management software
     

AtTask: the only project and portfolio management software that meets the business intelligence needs of executives, the planning needs of managers, and the collaboration needs of project teams, helping organizations get jobs done on time, on budget.

ADVERTISEMENTS