Nothing warms a PM’s heart more than motivated volunteers.
That’s what I call stakeholders who do not have “power to impose”, but have lots of “interest to take action”. They want to be involved, be in the loop, and make a difference.
The PM, then, must:
- Channel that enthusiasm quickly and constructively. Otherwise, the Builders will become discouraged and feel overlooked.
- Provide Builders with access to information using “pull” communications
- Manage their expectations
- Have them think “globally”, but act “locally”
- Reward and recognize their involvement.
Since 100% of the projects are under sourced by design, Builders are needed to pick up the slack. The PM should make appeals for volunteers and assign a team member to manage them. Builder’s influence the people around them as well as their management. They are excellent in creating good-will and support for the project.