7 key influencing factors in project management

Earlier, I wrote a short article about the importance of project tailoring??and how important it is for the project manager to understand the environment in which he or she is managing the project.

But what are the factors that influence the project environment?

In my experience, the following factors?could?have a significant impact on your project:

1. Power Distance Index: Do the project decision-makers (sponsor, programme manager, project manager) involve other project participants in decision-making? Is the distance between the decision makers and the project members?

2. Individualism vs collectivism: Is your project more in the interests of the individual or of the community?

3. Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation: Are your project participants guided by short-term or long-term goals?

4. Uncertanity avoidance index: To what extent do the decisions taken in the project avoid uncertainty? How much risk are project members willing to take?

5. Organisational structure: Is the project managed in a functional, matrix or project organisation?

6. Project Stakeholders: Who are the people supporting you? Who are the people who won't support you? Who are you positive and negative stakeholders?

7. Project constraints: What is the timeline, budget, required quality of you project?

The project manager is confronted with some combination of the above factors in the project, which is always different from project to project, and these combinations may change during the course of the project as well.

It is in this context that the project manager must find the method that works best for the challenges of the project.