Interpretive Planning

In any planning process, or operations of an interpretive site or organization, there are people we call key players: those with authority, those with power, and those with influence. Usually these are not the same people. Understanding who they are in relation to your project and how to work with (or sometimes around) these people can make a significant difference in the success or failure of your process and the final product.

The person (or people) with authority are the ones who actually sign off on the project. Generally speaking, this person will be the designated project manager (hence the term, “authorized signature” on most contracts). You might think that the person who signs off is also the person who is making decisions, but very often that’s not the case. What you may learn, hopefully sooner rather than later, is that there is a higher power that drives the signature. In other words, some project managers may still be responsible to a supervisor somewhere who is making them approve things or disapprove things that they don’t necessarily want to approve or disapprove.

Unfortunately, when this is the case, last week’s blog on bad ideas may come into play. The influencers are the ones who may look like ordinary people on the outside, but are really what we call “stakeholders.” Maybe they hold the pursestrings on the financial support for implementation of the project. Maybe they simply have the ear of the authority or power figures and like to manipulate people or processes for their own reasons. Maybe they talk the loudest or complain the most bitterly and so are listened to over more reasoned individuals in a simple attempt to quiet the maelstrom. They may influence the process in many ways, not all of which will be constructive.

So how do you identify who fits what bubble and use the strength of that knowledge to help the process be productive? The authority figure is usually easy to identify, just look for the signature. He or she should be identified in a contract if there is one, or if your project is taking place totally in-house, this person is usually going to be your immediate supervisor. Keep this person happy with great communication – document conversations and keep him or her informed of what’s happening with the project. Involve him or her in the process at each step to foster a strong connection and feeling of ownership with the project.

Should the power figure come into play, again, communication is key. By providing your authority figure with all the information needed, the power figure often becomes a supportive, positive power for good instead of an obstruction to overcome. Keep this person in the loop at key points along the way in the process, to whatever extent he or she requests. Recognize that there may be times when you will not sway a power person from his or her position, and that there may be good reasons for that which you may not fully understand – perhaps there are other factors at play in the big picture scheme of things that are causing the power person to play that card as necessary.

The influencers are perhaps the trickiest to deal with, but taking the time to assess what motivates these people is definitely in your best interest. Once you understand their motivations, you may find ways to influence the influencers so that their input supports the project instead of derails it. Asking what motivates them is rarely successful, so get to know them. Take the time to ask questions and listen (first principle of interpretive planning) to their responses and to what they’re not saying out loud. Help them understand how to be helpful and they may just become your project’s biggest fan. Once in that position, influencers can help you overcome power people problems or authority issues.

The main thing to remember is that it takes a lot of folks to work through any process and all of them are important. Keep that fifth principle in mind – everybody has to win, but the big winner has to be the mission of the organization. Ultimately, that’s what everyone must be after to be truly successful.