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Max's Disclosure: During the creation of this book, I was a mentor to author and long-time friend Vijay Verma. Therefore, I will simply confine my comments to quotations from the book. IntroductionIn this latest book by well-established author Vijay Verma, Vijay aims directly at the most beguiling aspect of project management — handling the challenges of corporate politics in promoting projects. This especially includes the typically negative reactionary responses to a new project launch. Why do negative politics transcend positive politics? Because if you are comfortable with a project's planned impacts and outcomes, there is no need to say anything. After all, it is not your job to promote a project unless you are specifically assigned to do so. Then the project manager's job is to turn that situation around. In the Art of Positive Politics,[1] Vijay explains how to analyze the political landscape, understand stakeholders' political positions from their perspective, and thereby convert opposition into support that results in even more successful results. For those project managers appropriately inclined, managing the political environment can be an exciting and satisfying component of the project manager's job, especially when it enhances the ability to get things done. What is the best part of all? Vijay covers the broad landscape from the project level up to the top organizational level. Hence this book is highly recommended.[2] As Vijay says: I like to share my knowledge and experience with others because knowledge is power, and the more you share it, the more you get. Books are excellent media to achieve this because they allow me to reach many people I might be unable to meet in person.[3] The concepts, ideas, and guidelines presented apply to initiatives and projects in any industry — government, information technology, construction, oil and gas, utilities, transportation, aerospace, mining, pharmaceuticals, research and development, financial, banking, insurance, hospitality, arts and service industries.[4] This book should help senior management minimize the negative impact of politics by creating positive politics characterized by the attributes, keywords, and ideas described. Portfolio, program and project managers will learn to analyze their political landscape to understand three main political positions (Naives, Sharks, and Politically Sensibles) and stakeholders' various political behaviors. Academics and educators in business schools and project management programs can use this book to develop a course to teach practical ideas about power, influence, and politics.[5] About the authorVijay K. Verma is an internationally renowned speaker and author. He wrote a three-volume series on the Human Aspects of Project Management published by the Project Management Institute (PMI): Organizing Projects for Success, Human Resource skills for the Project Manager, and Managing the Project Team. Mr. Verma received the 2009 PMI Fellow Award (one of the highest and most prestigious awards presented by PMI), the 1999 PMI David I. Cleland Project Management Literature Award (for his book Managing the Project Team), and the 1999 PMI Distinguished Contribution Award for sustained and significant contributions to the project management profession.[6]
1. Vijay Verma's book The Art of Positive Politics is available from amazon.ca/Art-Positive-Politics-Delivering-Successful/dp/1554891779.
2. The foregoing text is from my comments made in the introductory Praise for the Art of Positive Politics, p2.
3. The Art and Power of Politics, p26.
4. Ibid, p27.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid, p467
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