Detecting Unspoken Fears

Even effective relationships between project managers and senior leaders can have gaps in knowledge and understanding.  One of the most impactful gaps is unspoken fears about a project’s approach, outcome, or working with specific stakeholders. Even experienced senior leaders can succumb to fears not communicated to their PM. Here are ways to detect unspoken fears with a sponsor or senior stakeholder.

A vocabulary change.  Leaders experiencing fear often change the way they describe a situation or individual. They may use more conservative terms or sound more critical. They also may talk more or use more speculative language. Regardless of how their vocabulary changes, this change strongly indicates an unspoken fear.

A reduction in enthusiasm. Changes in enthusiasm when discussing an aspect of the project or a specific stakeholder indicate apprehension. While they may still be enthusiastic about the project overall, changes to the level of excitement can impact the project and should be addressed.

Avoidance of a topic. Even worse than a reduction in enthusiasm is when a senior leader avoids a topic altogether.  This could be by not answering a question or rapidly changing the subject. Another indicator of avoidance is seeking alternatives to addressing an issue or talking with a specific stakeholder. Deflection is a version of avoidance, when leaders redirect responsibility or blame to others when discussing challenging issues. When this persists, issues will occur!

Procrastination becomes evident. Delays in decision-making or acting on particular aspects of the project can indicate underlying fears or insecurities. Acting on behalf of the senior leader whenever possible helps, but other actions may be necessary to avoid downstream issues. 

The senior leader micromanages a given situation. An annoying indicator of underlying fears is when a sponsor micromanages an aspect of the project. This increase in controlling behaviors suggests anxiety about outcomes or performance. The project manager should ensure that their micromanagement-related activities don’t undermine activities elsewhere in the project. 

The leader becomes uncharacteristically defensive. Quick, emotional reactions to constructive feedback or alternative viewpoints may indicate insecurity. If the project team hears the defensive language, it can also frustrate them. This should be addressed as quickly as possible. 

So, what can a project manager do when these fears can impact a project? Here are alternatives:

• Confront the situation head-on. Share your observations and ask if there are underlying concerns you can help the senior leader address. 
• Offer to act on the senior leader’s behalf. A project manager may be more comfortable with a given situation or individual and address the problem with the senior leader’s endorsement.
• Expand project reporting and monitoring. Expanded reporting can often address concerns about an aspect of the project, such as cost or deadline issues. More data can help the senior leader feel more comfortable with a situation.
• Seek help from a trusted colleague. If your approaches don’t relieve the issue, support from other people the senior leader trusts might help them address the underlying fears.