I want to introduce a new word into your project management vocabulary; herding.

Herding in this sense is traditionally defined as “To associate; to ally one's self with, or place one's self among, a group or company.” As in: “I'll herd among his friends, and seem One of the number.”  (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. and Addison.)

Herding is what happens when a sub-group or the entire project team heads in one direction together. They may herd to rally around a new idea or conclusion just because the others in the group are doing so.

Alternately, they may herd to protect themselves from aggressive or vindictive management. One reason fish 'school' is to confuse predators and while the few may be hunted down, the mass will survive. And so it goes with ill-formed project teams.

Herding versus Consensus

The challenge with herding is that it can look like consensus; it can be confused with teamwork. It can be confused for so many signs of the well-functioning team that we all strive to achieve. Teamwork, team building, consensus building… but it is, in fact, all of these things run amok.

Preventing Herding

There are two things you need in your team to prevent herding, or to stop the destructive forms of it.

First, you need a culture where any individual can speak up and constructively tell what they believe is the truth about the project without fear of recrimination or sanction. On a broad scale, this is a ‘whistle blower’ law, but on a project scale, with the smaller incremental stakes, a law or corporate policy won’t do; the only way to make this work is to build the team to speak up. One great team I was part of was consciously built of outspoken people. I’d rather have the problem of too much talk than have things buried or covered up by a herd.

Second you need a few renegades. Team members who have the insight to tell when the emperor (herd) has no clothes, and the courage to speak up and tell their truth. These folks can be a real pain at times, but they can save you too. Just be sure that they don’t start their own herd.

Breaking up the Herds

How do you break this cycle? First, you have to see it. Look for too-easy consensus around complex issues, or too-easy lessons-learned meetings with executives in the room. While these can be a sign of great teams, they can be signs of herding. Breaking up herds is challenging because you are breaking what to casual observers appears to be a well-working team.

Two ways I know to break it. First a new leader; one that builds their strength in the organization from the bottom by talking and building relationships with the entire team. This is probably not the technical-guru leader that is in vogue, but a technical savvy person who pays with their time to open one-on-one conversations.

Second is with a team analysis tool. Tools such as Social Network Analysis can find these herds through analytical means and with experienced interpretational support can guide management in reforming the team to a herd-free place.

Home | Privacy