Project Management Charisma

When I passed the PMP exam back in 2009, it was important to recall the various sources of power available to the project manager. They were Legitimate, Expert, Reward, Punishment, and Referent. Each type of power has its place and time for usage by the project manager. Of these types, referent power was the most intriguing because it depended on the personality of the individual project manager.

Where did this theory originate?

Social psychologists John R.P. French and Bertram Raven published Studies in Social Power in 1959 detailing what they believed were the five sources of social power. A
quick web search on French and Raven’s “Five Bases of Power” will highlight more about this research. Some sources further define referent power in terms of “charm” and “charisma.”

Why is it important for a project manager to have charisma?

How you behave towards your project team will affect how those members perceive you. Even if you are empathetic and warm on the inside, it’s still possible that you are not communicating very well with your project team. The members may even avoid you, when you cannot control your appearance. This apparent disconnect between reality and perception could prevent you from receiving critical feedback on your project.

Imagine sitting at your desk crafting an email related to a project. You are deep in thought, as you compose a message. Suddenly, you feel a presence beside you. It is one of the stakeholders.  He did not send advance notice of his pending arrival.  Now he is here, asking detailed questions.

 How you react, in the next few seconds, could set the course for the following conversation. It may even affect the stakeholder’s perception of you as being an engaged and competent project team member.

 Should you quickly and impatiently answer his questions, while continuing with your email?  Or should you turn your head in his direction and greet him with a brief “what’s up”?  Or even possibly, turn your chair to face your new guest, smile widely and say: “Hello! Good to see you. How can I help you today?” If you selected the latter choice, then you have just applied “Focus Charisma”, with added “warmth” to make the interaction work well between you and your stakeholder.

What if I’m not the warm and fuzzy type?

 In her recent book, The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism, author Olivia Fox Cabane explains there are many ways to effectively use charisma. In fact, the skill of perceived charisma can be learned and applied over time. This in turn will foster goodwill across your projects.

 Ms. Cabane advises there may be obstacles preventing us from broadcasting presence, power, and warmth (that normally make charisma work).  For example, anxiety could undermine how others perceive your “warmth” (defined as gratitude, goodwill, and compassion). She explains how to overcome obstacles by making small behavioral changes:

  • Lower the intonation of your voice at the end of a sentence;
  • Reduce excessive nodding of the head;
  • Pause a few seconds, before you speak.

What else can I learn?

“The Charisma Myth” thoughtfully covers: Authority Charisma, Visionary Charisma, Focus Charisma, and Kindness Charisma. There are exercises for the reader to practice alone or in public.  Tips and tricks abound from modulating your voice to carrying a regal posture (when appropriate). I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in engaging people, in any setting.

Yes, but I’m already good at all that. 

When appropriate, mentor your team members and help them grow their social power skills.  Unless you are teaching a formal class, remember to coach in private to achieve respect and cooperation with your team members. More importantly: lead by example.

About the author

Kevin Taylor is a PMP certified project manager with a BA in Behavioral Science from San Jose State University. He worked in a variety of Silicon Valley’s tech companies for 17 years. For the last 10 years he has performed legal support and customer support roles with related projects for companies including Yahoo! and Google. For last 4 years he’s been living and working in Singapore with a growing interest in Thailand.

Kevin also earned a Master of Project Management from the University of Adelaide, a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certificate, and a Project and Program Management certificate from UC Santa Cruz, California.  Yet, there is still so much more to learn. Feedback on this article, offers from potential mentors, and suggestions for project opportunities are welcomed.

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