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Optimizing the Superior of Functional

Most organizations have a functional department, which will spur the development of the mentality of the barn. People tend to first think about the needs, interests, and objectives of their individual departments before considering the interests of the organization as a whole. This attitude is often destroying the team, because what is best in one department may not be the best for the project, company, or customer.

Your challenge is to restore the frame of reference of the team and functional orientation to the orientation of the project. A number of parties will oppose you. Team members often have their own agenda even though disguised. A marketing staff typically sees the world in terms of customer segments, market trends, and so on. An engineer sees the world in terms of practicality and functional specifications. You must learn to recognize this bias and sliding it into a more focused attitude on the team.

If it is viewed by the definition, it means the project is temporary. Where members of the team will go after the project is over, and back on their functional responsibilities. Do not over look the fact that you're not the person who signs their paychecks.

Doing a shift from functional thinking to the idea of the project will be easier if you keep pushing the message that the company and the customer is best for the individual elements in long run:

Take a specific attitude towards the criteria. When people agree how a choice or decision will be made, it is easier for them to ignore their personal bias. For example, if everyone agreed that "increasing customer satisfaction" is the most important criteria for a solution, no one objected to the solution which was taken even though it is not an ideal solution when viewed from their perspective.

Use Data to Make Decisions

Collect data for all major decisions within the team. If you have a criteria and data, it will be very difficult for people to support the personal choice that is not the best choice for a project or company.

Encourage the Process of Thinking

Try to limit the issues encountered by the team in the terminology of the process. Put required things. Where you can get it? What are the steps? What will be the result? Who will be the customer? In fact, if not related to the team’s actions or solutions, it is important to establish thinking process that encourages individual if you want to address the functional mentality.

"As a project manager, one of your tasks is to assemble a team into one unified entity, and unite the mind with a focused project objectives."

Adapted from the book: Project Management, the author: Gary R Heerkens

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