Ever been surprised
toward the end of the construction phase by work that wasn’t identified as part
of the design phase? Ever been surprised by assumptions made that turned out to
be untrue which generates additional requirements? Ever been surprised by testing
defects that identified missed construction? Ever been surprised?
If you’ve managed
projects there have been moments when, to your surprise, there has been a
communication breakdown which identifies additional work required to deliver
the scope of a project. The size of the surprise work can be “bigger than a
breadbox” and isn’t able to be absorbed into the existing time line. When this
happens, it can generate some emotions in the team. This is the time when you,
as project manager, get to step into a leadership first, then drive to the
management of the effort. What leadership qualities are required at this
moment? What, in this moment, will make a difference to the team, the client,
and to the project being experienced as successful?
One of the leadership
principle that makes a difference in this surprise moment is responsibility.
Taking full responsibility for where the project is at the moment the error is
discovered, taking full responsibility for the gap in communication, and taking
full responsibility for carrying the project forward at the moment the gap is
discovered. Let’s dive into what that really means and what it does not mean
and let’s take each of the responsibility statements one at a time.
First, taking full
responsibility for where the project is means gathering the facts associated
with the gap and the steps necessary to resolve the gap. This is the time for
excellent questioning skills, falling into a coaching moment, allowing others
to answer and tell the story. This isn’t the time to try to fix the
communication breakdown or question the team. This is the time to define the
issue, determine the course of action to resolve the issue, and determine the
impact to the project. Focusing on clearly defining the issue allows the team
to develop a comprehensive response. Asking the questions and supporting the
team in developing the plan of action to resolve the issue is the first course
of business. Once the course of action is a known, the team can begin to move
forward.
Next, define where the
communication breakdown happened. Finding the communication breakdown is
important to avoid future surprises. It is important in this portion of
discovery to move away from blame, taking full responsibility for the
resolution of process breakdowns and resolving past communication gaps is
critical. Leading with questions focused purely on the process and not on
individuals allows the team to determine a course of action in updating the
process. Ensuring that the team determines a go forward plan for closing the
gaps creates team ownership and when the team owns the communication, they will
more likely ensure the communication flows in the future.
The last block in the
responsibility triangle is communication with the client. Transparency with the
client is important as are the project optics. Stating that the team has
identified an issue and sharing the meetings taking place to fully identify the
issue, what the impacts are to the project, and the associated plan of action
tends to work well. Waiting until you’ve begun to make progress on resolving
the issue is usually met with the client wanting to know sooner which can cause
mistrust. Letting the client know an issue has been discovered without
sharing the immediate actions that are taking place to fully define the problem
can be met with frustration that there is an issue without any associated
information. A clear balance between too little information too soon and
waiting until everything is known is, in my experience, the best type of client
communication. Updating the client once the you’ve let them know is also
critical, ensuring there is some movement on a predetermined and agreed to time
frame supports the clients involvement and ability to feel engaged in the
decision making.
So when a surprise happens,
remember the quality of a leader is to take full responsibility. Responsibility
for where the project is, for closing the communication gap that caused the
surprise, and for carrying the project forward through by fostering
transparency with the client will create a strong experience of a successful
project. Surprises happen in many projects, large and small. How you lead your
team and the client through the surprise will set you apart in the world of
Project Management.
The
only question that remains is, how could you have prepared the team and the
client for such a surprise? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments
below.
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