The common thread in all the discussions is that project management theory needs to be applied appropriately to the situation. The worst managers I have seen were ones who were unable to do that – as in Paul’s experience. They were too enamored with the reports and charts and really didn’t have a clue what the team was actually doing and what they needed to succeed. And in all these cases the team had absolutely no respect for the manager – they saw him/her as a nuisance and tolerated him/her because upper management dictated the project would have an assigned manager. For the right reasons, but with the wrong person.
The best managers I have seen were the ones who were able to shield the team from all the distractions that surrounda project so the team could make progress. They were also able to forge a positive relationship with the client so that when issues arose, and they always do, the client participated in the solution, even though they might not like the outcome because it was detrimental to the budget, the schedule, the requirements or the scope.
The best managers also often times angered executive management because they were advocates for the team and the client. They pushed for and demanded what they needed for the project to succeed. The team and the client saw this and respected the manager for his/her fortitude.