PM- okay to go to dinner?

[terrih]

So, I just recently finished a 6th month project with a group of 3 other Project Managers. We managed a group of about 20 that spanned about 4different departments within our organization. It was just an upgrade of a system- so it wasn't glamorous or anything, but none the less, we got it done on time with very minor go live issues. The question is this. Is it appropratie for the PMs to go out to a celebratory dinner and charge that to the company?

This is our first project that the 4 of us have worked on together in these roles. The last big project we had numerous outside consultants managing the work, approach, etc. I thought it would be appropriate for us to go out, but my leadership expressed some concern about the rest of the team feeling excluded. How can I balance the need to celebrate a successful project with these other PMs and not discourage the other teammates. I actually anticipate the PMs going out after each project completion- why not go? As long as we recognize the other group members as well. Thoughts, advice?

[hc5duke]

Is it appropratie for the PMs to go out to a celebratory dinner and charge that to the company?

no. pay for it yourselves.

[dukemomLA]

I do not think it is inappropriate in any way to charge this to the company, as long as you completed your work on time and on/under budget. Your dinner would include/and mostly be about your work -- and a celebration of such.

There is a lot of "lessons learned"/ risk management, etc. to be gleaned from your time together.

However, if your work was NOT on time and OVER budget, or becomes a drinking fest----pay for it yourselves. Hopefully (if you're a Duke grad) you've lived up to the expections of your Alma Mater and behaved as expected. Skoal.

[Exiled_Devil]

So, I just recently finished a 6th month project with a group of 3 other Project Managers. We managed a group of about 20 that spanned about 4different departments within our organization. It was just an upgrade of a system- so it wasn't glamorous or anything, but none the less, we got it done on time with very minor go live issues. The question is this. Is it appropratie for the PMs to go out to a celebratory dinner and charge that to the company?

This is our first project that the 4 of us have worked on together in these roles. The last big project we had numerous outside consultants managing the work, approach, etc. I thought it would be appropriate for us to go out, but my leadership expressed some concern about the rest of the team feeling excluded. How can I balance the need to celebrate a successful project with these other PMs and not discourage the other teammates. I actually anticipate the PMs going out after each project completion- why not go? As long as we recognize the other group members as well. Thoughts, advice?

I would default to celebrating, but really gauge it on your company policy as to who pays for it. The suggestion of the budget for the project is a good one, but if it is not normal to charge special occasions to the company than it may be too much regardless of success.

I find the 'rest of the team excluded' to be an odd rationale. the rest of the team are not PM's, right? So the person above you is saying that it is not okay to celebrate in different groups - if the rest of your team are NOT PM's, then they should feel excluded from the PM group.

This feels to me like a common occurrence when managers want everyone below them to feel like they are all part of one team, when the manager feels like they are hierarchically separate from the team they manage. A way to manage this is to discuss it from a moral point of view for the PM's - 'we did a particularly good job', 'we need to celebrate with peers in order to feel comfortable and relaxed', OR 'the rest of the team should be able to celebrate without us chaperoning them'.

Having said that, I would be prepared to pay for it out-of-pocket.

Exiled.

One last thought - are you on the road for this project? Can you unofficially celebrate with just the PM's by having a separate dinner for some 'management reason' while on the road?

[Highlander]

Another approach would be to charge it to the company, but don't include alcohol. Keeps the cost down and protects the company from any liability. I also wouldn't advertise it to the larger team if you plan to exclude them.

My rule of thumb is to always act as if I am the CEO of the company with expenses. If I wouldn't spend my company's money on it, I shouldn't do it as an employee/consultant.

[mapei]

It's all a matter of company culture. Where I work, you'd want to include everybody on the project, and paid-for dinners would be rare but perfectly fine on occasion. If you wanted to get together with a smaller group of leaders, that would be more suited to something to do on your own.

But I think there is a lot of difference from one workplace to another in what feels right.

[captmojo]

Did the project involve upgrades that will directly lead to company savings or greater production revenues? If so, dinner parties in these situations are or should be no problem. Seems to me the only differing option would be if the company is suffering from income troubles or you were trying to set some frugality examples.

[Cavlaw]

no. pay for it yourselves.
I have to agree with this assessment. Presumably your company has a clear written policy on what is and is not a reimbursable expense. If this isn't covered, you're violating company policy, misappropriating funds, and risking your job and/or promotions.

Rewards for a job well done are given by the employer to the employee, not taken by the employee to pat themselves on the back. All the other analysis about the cost saving analysis is malarky -- just because the job you did saved your employer money doesn't entitle you to those savings. It isn't your money.

[captmojo]

I have to agree with this assessment. Presumably your company has a clear written policy on what is and is not a reimbursable expense. If this isn't covered, you're violating company policy, misappropriating funds, and risking your job and/or promotions.

Rewards for a job well done are given by the employer to the employee, not taken by the employee to pat themselves on the back. All the other analysis about the cost saving analysis is malarky -- just because the job you did saved your employer money doesn't entitle you to those savings. It isn't your money.

Ah, the legal opinion. I must agree.

[Cavlaw]

Ah, the legal opinion. I must agree.
Heh, to avoid the "heartless shark" image, I will say this to the OP: if you did do an awesome job and come in under budget and ahead of schedule, your boss would have to be a total schmuck not to find some suitable way to reward and/or recognize you.

[The Gordog]

That would not be considered appropriate in my company's culture - and I think that's pretty typical. It's better to ask you boss, or whoever above him/her has budgetary authority, to authorize something for the whole team. And that event should be during work hours so that those who have family obligations after work are not unintentionally excluded. If the four of you want to go off site after hours you should pay for it yourselves.

[Richard Berg]

If you pay using company money,
(a) it should come out of your (or your manager's) morale fund, not from the project's budget, no matter how under-budget your great work may havebeen
(b) it should include everyone who contributed

Given those parameters, I don't have a problem with fancy restaurants, alcohol, whatever. Just keep it under control.