Managing Emotions in Project Environments

The management of feelings in projects is important. Project managers who recognise this and act accordingly, are more likely to deliver their projects successfully. Managing emotions in projects is of particular importance due to the nature of projects. They are temporary organisations that often consist of a mixture of people from both inside and outside of the organisation. Project managers often do not exercise direct line management responsibility over these so they need to manage the emotions of people over which they have no control.

This variety of human beings such as contractors, vendors and so on, needs emotionally-aware project managers who are 'strong in interpersonal skills, knowing how to create an environment where people feel valued and motivated to contribute to their maximum potential, and where problems are considered challenges and errors are considered learning experiences (Verma, 1996). It is, therefore, essential that project managers in the Project-oriented society become competent in managing the feelings of people well within their projects.