Member Management Influencing: Driving Value Through Organizational Structures

PMBOK v8 Definition

Member Management Influencing refers to the project management team's role in advising and collaborating with executives and business unit leaders on ideas for advancing strategic objectives, improving organizational performance, and meeting customer needs. This influence extends to managing or assisting in business analysis, business case development, and aspects of portfolio management for a project, with the role tailored to fit the organizational structure.

Why It Matters for the Exam

This concept appears frequently in PMI exam questions about organizational influences on project success and stakeholder engagement strategies. You will encounter it in situational questions where the project manager must navigate different organizational structures, as well as in questions testing your understanding of how project management teams contribute to broader value delivery systems beyond traditional project boundaries.

Key Points to Remember (for the exam)

Core Definition: Member Management Influencing is the project team's advisory role to executives and business leaders on strategic objectives, organizational performance, and customer needs.
Scope of Influence: The project management team may be called upon to manage or assist in business analysis, business case development, and portfolio management aspects.
Tailoring Requirement: The role should be tailored to fit the organizational structure, just like tailoring project processes.
Organizational Structure Impact: Project Manager's authority varies from Low (Organic/Functional) to High (Projectized/Composite), directly affecting influencing capability.
Work Group Arrangement: In organic structures, people work side-by-side flexibly; in functional structures, work is organized by job function (e.g., engineering, marketing).
Resource Availability: Directly tied to organizational structure type—functional structures have low resource control for PMs; projectized structures have high resource control.
PM Role Variation: In organic structures, PM is a part-time role (may or may not be a designated job role like coordinator); in projectized structures, PM is a full-time, dedicated role.

Typical PMI Exam Example

You are managing a project in a functional organization where the project manager role is part-time. The CEO asks for your recommendations on how to align project deliverables with a new strategic objective. What should you do? → Advise the CEO based on your project insights, while recognizing your limited authority over resource allocation and team assignments.

PMI Exam Traps

Trap: Confusing "Member Management Influencing" with direct authority over team members
Reality: Influencing is about advisory and collaboration, not direct command—especially in functional or organic structures where PM authority is low.
Trap: Thinking the PM's role is identical across all organizational structures
Reality: The PM's role, authority, and resource availability vary significantly—organic/functional (low authority, part-time) vs. projectized (high authority, full-time).
Trap: Assuming influencing only applies to project team members
Reality: Influencing extends to executives, business unit leaders, and portfolio management—it's about strategic alignment, not just team management.
Trap: Believing tailoring is optional for the influencing role
Reality: The role "should be tailored to fit the organizational structure, like tailoring project processes"—tailoring is mandatory, not optional.

Important PMI Connections

Related Concept	Relationship Type	Exam Attention Point
Organizational Structures	Determines PM authority level	Functional = low authority; Projectized = high authority; Matrix = shared authority
System for Value Delivery	Context for influencing	Operations, portfolios, programs, projects interact dynamically to drive strategic outcomes
Tailoring	Application method	Both processes AND the PM's influencing role must be tailored to the organization
Resource Availability	Direct consequence	Influencing without authority requires different strategies than influencing with resource control
Business Analysis & Business Case	Scope of influence	PM may assist in these areas beyond traditional project boundaries

Quick Review Questions

In which organizational structure type would the project manager have the LOWEST authority and a part-time role?
What three areas may the project management team be called upon to manage or assist in, according to the influencing role?
Why must the project management team's influencing role be tailored to fit the organizational structure?
How do operations influence portfolios, programs, and projects in the system for value delivery?
What is the relationship between organizational structure type and resource availability for the project manager?

PMBOK v8 Reference

Section 2 – A System for Value Delivery (Page 22, Table 2-1: Influences of Organizational Structures on Projects)
Section 1 – Introduction (Figure 1-2: A Framework for Managing Portfolios, Programs, Projects, and Operations)
Page 16 – Operations' role in supporting and influencing portfolios, programs, and projects