Spellbound stakeholders can chain your project to the dungeon of disaster. Here's how to lift the curse for a happily-ever-after ending. Thomas Cutting looks at cast of characters.

"And they all lived happily ever after." That's how fairy tales end. Unfortunately, IT projects are more likely to have fairy tale beginnings than endings. As our story opens, the project is held captive by the wicked stepsponsor who doesn't care about you or the initiative. An overcommitted team leader is clearly bewitched, and an underproductive technical resource plays the role of ogre. Add an evil troll oversight manager and a gaggle of invisible users, and even Pixar would have a tough time managing a PG rating.

Riding his faithful steed, the project manager gallops in to save the day . . . and gets blindsided by the antagonists in the first act, destroying all hope for the project.

These characters aren't really villains; in fact, they're key stakeholders whose support is crucial to the success of your project. But they're spellbound by their current mind-sets. Unless you can cast a counterspell to disperse their negative energy, the risk to the project is overwhelming.

Here are some ways to identify enchanted stakeholders and release them and the project from almost certain doom.

The Wicked Stepsponsor

The sponsor's role is vital. He is expected to approve milestones, supply funding and run interference for the project. Either an ally or a foe is better than someone who lacks interest in the project entirely. If your sponsor acts as the project champion, you have to resist adding extras, but you can work with his energy. If he is against the project, help him identify the reasons it should be dropped instead of fighting a losing battle. If your sponsor isn't involved, however, the risk of not fulfilling the project objectives spikes. Watch out for any of the following signs of evil:

• Whenever your project is discussed, the sponsor switches the topic of conversation.
• Status meetings are regularly cancelled.
• Funding for any other project pillages your budget.

But you can break through that cold exterior and engage the uninterested sponsor. Here's how:

Think like him. Understand his priorities, how he best receives information (e-mail, voice mail, face to face), his group's pressures and the direction in which he wants to move. This knowledge will increase the effectiveness of your communication.

Keep communications brief. News flash: sponsors have a limited amount of time. Lengthy reports and e-mails get ignored. Tailor the status reports and use Gantt charts (also referred to as project timelines) or graphs to communicate faster.

Determine and communicate project benefits. Projects are undertaken for a reason. What pain was this one intended to stop? Is it a regulatory requirement, or someone's pet idea? Quantifying the expected benefits allows the sponsor to weigh them against project costs. A simple projection of return on investment, focused on the sponsor's pressures and priorities, will communicate the benefits.

Create and articulate the goal. Using the identified benefits, create a short statement that explains what you plan to accomplish. A good example would be "to accept online purchases, reducing transaction fees and saving $100,000 annually". Equipping your teammates with a goal gives them focus and helps them articulate it.

The Troll Oversight Manager

You won't always be the lead manager, and unless you're a control freak, this shouldn't present a problem. Manage your resources and deliverables, and report progress to the manager who oversees the milestones and direction of the overall project. But he can conjure up trouble if he redirects your resources and efforts. Watch out for the following trollish tip-offs:

• He scrutinizes the schedule and accepts the activities and basis of estimate (BOE) yet demands a 10 percent cut.
• Instead of discussing progress, issues and risks, he drills immediately into the details of the data-mapping diagram.
• He redirects your resources to tasks outside your scope of effort.

Here's how you can charm the troll:

Discover why he needs control. Is he new to the role? Does he lack confidence in your abilities? Does he feel threatened? Knowing the cause of his anxiety will help you tailor your approach to increase his confidence in you and himself.

Be sure of your BOE and explain it. But don't get defensive; logical conversations spark enough arguments.

Create a detailed schedule. Incorporate the BOE in the schedule with comments on key activities or tasks. Use the 80-hour rule (assign resources only to tasks that require less than 80 hours of effort) to replace padding with realistic estimates.

Track actual hours and estimates to complete (ETC). Capture actual task-level hours and ETCs from the individuals who do the work. The team members can ignore your estimates, but if they determine the estimate, they own it.

Understand and articulate your status. Clearly communicating accomplishments, destination and direction diminishes the manager's need to step in. Show some backbone. Heroes need to sound convincing. Be sure of your facts and speak confidently. If a question arises that you are unprepared to discuss, request time to research before answering.