Haluk DOÐANÇAY
What distinguishes the consultant from the architect or engineer who only designs, and as well adds value is, without doubt, his knowledge and experience in the field of “management”—or rather to be precise—the field of “project management.” Whether the “project” we refer to is a research project, a design project or a construction project… this feature cannot be disregarded.
Next to 1) the knowledge acquired through education, 2) the tools and techniques gained through technologies, and 3) the experience accumulated in the process, the discipline of Project Management involves yet another intangible aspect that is not taught in schools: acquisition of the skills that are associated with the human factor and defined as “soft skills,” are, however, deemed to relate only with the arts. As a matter of fact, “project management” is being defined by many also as “the art of managing a temporary business with limited resources.”
Usually no problems are encountered when projects are managed with unlimited resources, particularly with unlimited “money, money, money,” as Napoleon said. If you have money, you can easily procure your man, material, equipment and machinery needs; you learn to resolve the opportunities required to manage the scope, time, cost, quality, risk and procurement issues with tools based on knowledge and technology by deploying these monetary resources... You gain knowledge, perhaps not entirely in school but also in business life through experience and trial. It is, however, not possible to learn either in school or without the will to develop your knowledge, about your project stakeholders, the relations with people at large and the skill to communicate with such, as well as occupational business ethics. Hence, consultants that are indeed successful in their projects come forth among those who have the desire to improve themselves in these areas. Those who have been hitherto named “the best engineer”, “the best architect” in their profession are not those whose projects have achieved the best success. Neither will such be the case in the future. In my almost 30 years of professional life I have come across many invaluable architects and engineers that have experienced grave disappointments: colleagues that were confident that they had accomplished the best in the most correct manner, thinking that the origins of their failure fell entirely out of their domain.
If the consultant is not one of the kinds that are described as “hands in pocket” or “old hand” or “expert”, as consultants are perceived in our country, he/she is either managing the project he/she partakes or is an active member of the project team. A reliable research conducted in the United States in the recent years has shown that while a project manager invests 90 percent of his/her time on the project, a project team member invests 70 percent of his/her time in human relations and communication. The research further indicates that we conduct 55 percent of our communication through non-verbal, body language. I believe that this research explains many of the problems and failures that we cannot logically explain and yet come forth in projects despite our profound engineering education and our knowledge, our long practical experience. I believe that this further explains why internet-based project management platforms cannot develop to the expected extent.
We observe that business conditions, the number of “stakeholders” (*) in projects, our approach and perspectives in collaborating and conducting business with these stakeholders have undergone radical changes in the recent years. This compels us to regard the project team that we partake in almost like a “company”, a “business partnership”, and a “profit center”.
Basing on the unilateral engineering education we get in schools, we make the biggest mistake by focusing only on our scientific field, our field of expertise, or only on the interests of our client. I believe that the concept of the “independent” does not reflect the accurate definition. I know some colleagues who have achieved (!) the level of apathy as a result of a discourse that claims to “stand at equal distance to all”, “not seek any particular person’s interest” for the sake of being “independent”.
In many projects we frequently witness our colleagues saying, “I am an engineer or technical consultant, I say and do what I believe to be right, others can do what they want” or “I told you, I wrote it in my report, I don’t hold any further responsibility”. Moreover, they present these on good will and as a requirement of “independency”.
“Independence” does not come to mean standing at equal distance to all and disregarding the interests of others. What is in fact important is to protect the interests of “the project, the project partnership and the project company”. And perhaps the interest of the project that cannot be perceived by many happens to be regarded as the interest of only one of the project stakeholders. If you lack the self-confidence and act hesitantly in consideration of “what others will say” or if you lack the strength for the leadership to change this perspective in your domain, it is indeed difficult to “seek the interest of the project”.
“Independence” becomes profoundly more meaningful when it is perceived as seeking the shared benefit of the project or project partnership and of each and every stakeholder. Moreover, if it can be considered as “a game in which there is no loser and each and every stakeholder wins”.
It is the project manager’s obligatory duty and priority to conceive before others and teach others the interests of the project, its relations to the organization it is affiliated with, the results it will support the organization to achieve, the members of the project team as well as the goals and expectations of the project stakeholders. The correct way to start the work is to first analyze the business goals and needs of the project as well as those of the organization owning the project.
One should bear in mind that a project is likely to be successful only if it is implemented in harmony with the owner organization’s business goals and needs. Investing the time to get to know the project stakeholders well, to learn about the role, the know-how and skills of each and every one of these stakeholders, as well as their expectations and goals related to the project, analyzing the influence power of each stakeholder on the project and the achievements of the project are the other aspects necessary for success. Stakeholders are certainly not limited to the members of the project team. Stakeholders whose interests are unfavorably affected should be acknowledged as project or business partners next to those whose interests are favorably affected. All of us have, in one way or the other, witnessed how a parasite that we consider unimportant happens to impose a cost on the project.
After all, our project is our own company. Just as international accounting rules focus on protecting the interests of the company and not that of the company partners, the primary rule of the project manager should be to protect the interests of the project, not those of the project stakeholders and even the project owners.
Filtered through the 30 years of experience in the profession
As project managers, let us leave engineering as part of our fundamental educational formation and start acting as entrepreneurs, professional managers. Let us learn how to support our engineering education with management, finance, administration and marketing educations to be able to assume a global and overall perspective.
Let us start improving the skills and knowledge that are not taught in engineering schools, try to be good communicators, learn how to express ourselves both verbally and in writing, improve our body language, in short, let us invest time in improving not only the strong aspects of our profession but also our humane characteristics.
Let us be transparent, honest and reliable in our relations with project stakeholders. Let us say as Robert BOSCH has said, “I Would Rather Lose Money Than Losing People's Trust”.
Let us firmly understand that the interests of the project are above the individual interests of the stakeholders and explain so to all that take part. Let us assume the “leadership” approach rather than the managerial approach. Let us respect individuals and have confidence in them. And let us value the rules of corporate ethics within the structure of the project as much we value individual ethics.
(*) Stakeholder: The term is used to indicate not only the persons and organizations whose interests are favorably affected by the project but also those whose interests are unfavorably affected. The term should be deemed to include, for instance, not only the contractors, employers, project implementers, financers, approving authorities but also the residents of the area, the politicians, environmental organizations, and even the media.
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