We shouldn’t expect project matters to be right or go well every time. Having a positive mentality and a well-rested, calm demeanor is a simple, yet often underrated component of good decision making, especially in panicky situations. An effective approach is prioritising self-care and taking effective short breaks for regular reflection and review. Things regularly go wrong when project managers are habitually over-stressed, tired and anxious. If one feels stressed, upset, exhausted or angry, it is clearly best to avoid making big decisions. if one (or one’s superior) were in a different frame of mind. It’s important to query if one (or one’s superior) would reach the same decision on a different day, i.e. Any decision making must be reviewed based on one’s current mindset/mood. The skill to pause and reflect before reaching/making a decision is important in times of panic. Project Decision making – stop and reflect method If it had been previously identified as a risk, one now has quantitative data regarding its impact which one should use to be better prepared in the future. While it can be very satisfying to resolve a prickly project issue, we need to also remain vigilant to the possibility that it could recur. At times, the strangest and or simplest tool/idea will help kill/mitigate a risk and this comes only when one has an open mind. The crux is to adopt a hybrid approach – where the focus is on project value and positive outcomes, and less priority on rigid tools, organizational processes or literal outputs. Having a back-up plan is good, but be open to adapting. Too much planning without being agile, and one may fail to adapt when the situation/risk changes. The ability to use the best mix of planning and structured thinking, while also staying flexible and agile, is the key. Prioritizing the resolution of sudden risks (impact wise) also aids in the overall mitigation and lessens panic when multiple risks arise within a short span of time. If not this time, the next time these risks pop up, one will know how to target, mitigate and resolve them (lessons learnt). In my experience, one needs to keep a record of these as and when they occur. However, some project risks/issues come up without any warning (especially when everything else seems to going smoothly). the trick is trying to ascertain when it will happen, and what form it may take. The Project Risks – Sudden Scares and adaptive approachĪs experience builds up, one will realise that things will go wrong and things will come out of nowhere and create sudden scares/panic. One shouldn’t ‘fear’ baseline project programmes but have a control and govern it to keep the project panic buried well under. Explain the reasons and communicate any new plans based on updated project priorities. As soon as a milestone seems to be at risk, this fact must be communicated immediately. Project managers should communicate to stakeholders what they can expect regarding immediate milestones. Explain to stakeholders that a “project plan” is merely a “projection” of what you expect to happen in the future.įollowing an outdated project plan will merely result in failure. Project managers must be clear and transparent when managing stakeholder expectations. The project may still produce good results. My take from my years of work is that all stakeholders need to be made aware that the initial project milestones are created weeks/months ahead of time, and not all requirements can be known when a project is launched. There is a misconception that if the project team isn’t hitting every milestone on the dates specified, the project is obviously a failure. For long-term success, one should recognize one’s limitations and be transparent in their reporting. To keep the panic mode subdued within, I have learnt that it is best to forewarn them of any potential risks and communicate with these characters on a regular basis with honest project updates, whether good or bad. Mostly placed at the higher ranks (the higher up they are, the more the panic and anxiety created among subordinates) they do not like hearing any bad news, especially without any prior warnings. These are the characters that can create/spread panic when there are project budget overruns or missed deadlines. Grounded Theory | Systematic Design, Emerging Design, Constructivist Approach The Project Characters
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