In politics on projects, the 'Monkey' sees themselves as superior..

Politics, characterized as power struggles among individuals for influence and resources, is unavoidable in project management, and those who ignore it risk project failure.

Ignoring politics can lead to political suicide, limited influence and decision-making power, reduced resources, decreased visibility and support from upper management, and becoming a scapegoat.

The project environment is inherently political due to the competition for scarce resources and differing agendas among stakeholders, team members, and project managers.

To survive in a political environment, project managers may need to adopt tactics that might seem unprofessional, like playing power games or manipulating situations to their advantage.

Divide and Conquer: This strategy involves assigning interdependent tasks to team members or making allies within the client's organization to prevent challenges to the project manager's authority and keep the opposition busy with internal issues rather than focusing on undermining the project manager.

Cooption: By aligning with the opposition through mutual short-term interests, a project manager can reduce potential opposition by making adversaries stakeholders in the project's success, thereby securing their cooperation.

Alliance Building: This involves creating strong relationships with key individuals or groups, whether within the client's side, management, or the project team, to garner support and share resources, increasing the project's chance of success.

Powerbrokering: Acting as a mediator among conflicting parties to exploit their disputes for the project's advantage, positioning the project manager and their project as aligned with the company's interests to gain support and resources.

Spreading Responsibility: Sharing project responsibilities with others, especially in uncertain outcomes, to diffuse blame in case of failure and engage higher management or other teams in decision-making to share accountability.

Scapegoating: Assigning blame to others for project failures or issues, thereby deflecting responsibility from the project manager to preserve their reputation and maintain project support.

Fostering Cooperation: Establishing mutual support systems with other project managers or teams by sharing resources or covering for each other's shortcomings to build a network of reciprocal assistance, enhancing project resilience.

Filibustering: Deliberately delaying project progress to gain tactical advantages, such as securing more funding, embarrassing a rival project manager, or preventing premature project closure, though it carries risks if not justified properly.

Sacrificing the Future for the Present: Making decisions that solve immediate project issues at the expense of long-term success, often for budgetary or scheduling reasons, with the potential to create more significant problems later on.

Influence strategies most often come down to flowing:

Upward Appeals: Seeking the support or approval from higher authority figures to back up requests or initiatives.

Ingratiation: Engaging in flattery or making someone feel good before making a request to increase the likelihood of compliance.

Legitimacy: Relying on one’s authority or right, according to organizational policies or rules, to request or demand compliance.

Using Reason: Presenting logical arguments and factual evidence to persuade superiors of the validity of a proposal. Or employing logical arguments and factual evidence to convince subordinates of the necessity of a task or decision. Using logical arguments and factual evidence to convince others that a proposed plan or idea is beneficial.

Assertiveness: Directly and clearly stating what needs to be done, setting expectations firmly.

Pressure: Applying demands, threats, or intimidation to coerce others into following directives or supporting initiatives.

Sanctions: Implementing rewards for compliance and penalties for non-compliance to enforce rules and decisions.

Exchange: Negotiating mutual benefits by promising rewards or resources in return for support or compliance.

Friendliness: Building a rapport and positive relationships with subordinates to foster cooperation and willingness to follow directives.

Inspirational Appeals: Making emotional requests or proposals that appeal to others’ values, emotions, or ideals to garner support.

Consultation (Cooptation): Involving others in the planning or decision-making process to gain their support by making them feel responsible for the outcome.

Forming Coalitions: Building alliances with others in the organization to support and endorse your ideas to superiors, enhancing credibility and influence. Forming groups of individuals with shared interests to pool influence and resources to support a common goal or initiative.

Political Behavior and Game-Playing: Utilizing concepts from Transactional Analysis, individuals can reflect on their own behaviors and perceptions of others within the organizational context, identifying with roles such as Sheep, Elephant, Monkey, or Owl in political situations.

Characterization of Political Roles: Sheep perceive themselves and others as inadequate, avoiding politics and conflict. Elephant views themselves as less competent, often inadvertently creating problems through blunt honesty. Monkey sees themselves as superior, manipulating situations for advantage. The owl represents wisdom, seeking mutual benefit and understanding the dynamics at play.

So what Is new in project management that adaptive leadership brings? Anybody?