estimates that will enable them to help you and your team make the best decision for the next course of action. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. It’s best not to just take problems to your customer—also take solutions.
Come to a consensus and work on it. Once you, your team, and your customer have jointly decided on which course of action to take, rework the project schedule and begin to implement the new plan. Even if that new plan – in the face of drastic project issues – is to shut the project down entirely, there still needs to be a disposal-type plan in place on how to best close out the project possibly with a later restart in mind as well. Always try to think and act positively.
Continue to execute on the project. At this point it’s time to move forward but make sure you practice the general PM functions that make for consistent, sound project management: Hold the regular weekly status calls, create and distribute status reports, continue resource and budget forecasting, and maintain the project schedule as you always have. It’s critical that you continue to focus on PM best practices. Consistency usually wins and just because you’re facing adversity doesn’t mean you should throw the basics out the window. In fact, that’s the very time you need them the most.
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About the author
Brad Egeland is an IT, project management, and business strategy consultant and author with more than twenty-five years of software development, management, and project management experience leading business and IT initiatives in nearly every industry imaginable. He works with organizations of all sizes from startups to Fortune 500 leaders and has overseen the creation and execution of multiple PMOs. Brad is married, a father of nine, and lives in Las Vegas, NV. He can be reached at brad@bradegeland.com or you can visit his website at www.bradegeland.com.
