Could Turf Wars Torpedo Your Project?

The list of project management stakeholders is getting bigger –and so are the potential headaches for project managers.

As enterprises become more proficient at data collection via the Internet of Things (IoT), some think they need a Chief Data Officer to manage it. Gartner predicts that by 2017, some 25 percent of companies will have a CDO.

Still others think the solution is a Chief Digital Officer, an evolving position.

Whatever the acronym, speculation is rampant that the CDO, however defined, will usurp the CIO role, or even eliminate it entirely.

Even the most diplomatic project managers, aware of how office politics can torpedo even the best plans, might need additional strategies for stakeholder and sponsor management.

One option is to have an objective third party coach sponsors, advisors and other stakeholders. An unbiased viewpoint can sharpen executive commitment, untangle resource planning, and sort through the hot button issues.

“Great teamwork is the only way we create the breakthroughs that define our careers,” said Pat Riley, one of the NBA’s all-time greatest coaches. It’s as true in business as it is in sports.