As a project manager for 10+ years, I often hear about new ways to improve PM methodology, process flows and requirement gathering, but one challenge constantly overlooked is how to manage a worker your project is dependent upon without the authority to punish them, intimidate them, reward their performance or increase their compensation.

As projects come up, they will all have varying degrees of challenges, requirements, risks and difficulty levels, but managing without authority is probably the most consistent challenge/risk that applies to every project regardless of industry, scope or goal.  I hope the following bullets help provide you with some ideas to help deal with this challenge.

• Reach out to “everyone” when determining your stakeholders. Don’t make assumptions that a functional area or owner is not going to be affected by your project scope.  A simple phone call or addition to an outlook meeting invite can mean the difference between a successful project launch or a painful software rollback because “we forgot that one dude”.  Keeping people aware and involved not only covers your ass, but it helps build trust and they will appreciate you thinking of them.
• It’s not all about “the business”. When you call someone about a deliverable or some project element, take a few minutes to ask how they are doing, how the family is, etc.  Warming up to people will go a long way and will help build trusted relationships and a positive experience when you reach out to someone.  Besides, who wants to otalk about work stuff for 8 – 12 hours a day?  Have a chat about sports, TV shows, pets and vacations.  How would you act at a family party of a new girlfriend or boyfriend if you really like him/her?
• Do NOT let reputations be your guide. Every office has one – the hard-ass in Accounting, IT or Legal that everyone dreads working with.  That person may be a total asshole, but so what?  Why not attempt to have the same conversations you would with an easy-going person?  Why not say hello to him/her in the office?  Did you just get off the phone with them and they seemed like they were in a shitty mood?  Drop a candy bar off at their desk, or send them a funny email joke.  Make’em laugh!  And did you ever consider that the reason they may be an asshole is because they have to deal with schmucks like you every day?  I’ve actually been able to get some special treatment by some very notorious office personalities by simply dropping off a 60 cent candy bar on their desk as a thank you.
• Do on to others. Want respect for your process?  Well, that’s a 2 way street.  If some project stakeholder asks you to fill out a form or a work request to get on their work schedule or to show their boss what they had to do that week then do it.  Sure, bitch about it later or bitch to yourself as you fill it out, but still do it. And do it right!  That’s what they need to get their job done, so make their job easier.  When you respect other group’s processes, even when these people’s processes (and personalities) are notoriously difficult or asinine, they just might surprise you with some quality support, and might even forgive you when you have the occasional screw up.
• Ask everyone and anyone. Be open to suggestions, no matter who does the suggesting. Sometimes explaining your dilemma to someone who isn’t a stakeholder in your project can yield some good advice or show you something you missed. I’ve shared work stories with my wife and father and while they might not be able to offer the solution to a problem, they might be able to give guidance on dealing with a difficult person. This also applies to fellow employees at the office. If you’re having a brainstorming session about how to market a new product or promotion, invite someone from finance or accounting. They shop just like the customers you’re targeting. Since they work at the same company, they just might have something to contribute. Besides, inviting them to the session could help build a sense of trust and support for a project they might be a stakeholder for down the road.
• Flattery may not get you everywhere, but it doesn’t hurt. Did someone do a good job for you? Send their boss an email or a note about how awesome they were. Did a person go ahead and do the bare minimum they had to do for you to get your contract approved or your system enhancement deployed on time and on/under budget? Well, that’s helpful, too! If that guy/gal wasn’t there to “flick the switch” or hand the contract to the CEO for a simple signature, where would you be without them? Why shouldn’t he/she get some brownie points, too?
  

Anyway, I hope these tips help you in your career, so good luck!