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The
Guerrilla Consultant -
a newsletter dedicated to applying the principles
of Guerrilla Marketing to the work and lives of
consultants.
When Your Best-Laid Plans Go Awry
Most consultants have to face it at some point: Telling the client that a project will take longer or cost more than planned. Clients want to hear that news about as much as they do a nonstop public radio pledge drive, but it happens. The best way to avoid these uncomfortable conversations is to be sure that you don't get off track in the first place. And that's the subject of this month's issue.
Enjoy the article, and
let
me know what you think.
Mike
McLaughlin
Co-Author, Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants Principal, MindShare Consulting LLC
Delivering Bad News
No one likes to deliver (or hear) bad news about a project, whether it's a schedule slip or a budget overrun. These revelations are not exactly relationship-builders. For starters, your client sponsors have to own up to colleagues and others that your best-laid plans have gone awry. At the very least, this leads to questions about their judgment; at worst, it could be a career limiter.
But the bad news gets worse. It also damages your credibility. One consultant who had to backtrack on a project schedule found himself in an argument about every subsequent estimate he made for the project. In the heat of those moments, he got stuck in the middle of finger-pointing campaigns as people looked for someone to blame. In the meantime, the project lost momentum as the team dealt with the distractions that inevitably crop up when things don't go according to plan.
Assume Nothing
Without a doubt, some problems come out of left field to subvert carefully designed project plans. It's common, for instance, for clients to make changes to the project team, or even the project sponsor, at the last minute. Such changes can wreak havoc with a project plan, and are almost impossible to foresee. For many projects, though, the seeds of trouble are sown long before a project kicks off. In fact, it's possible to trace many future problems to decisions you and the client make during the sales process.
| "Of all the factors that contribute to project snafus, assumptions top the list." |
Of all the factors that contribute to project snafus, assumptions top the list. Think of assumptions as disasters waiting to happen. And the more assumptions you make about a project, the greater the likelihood that one of those disasters will hit.
Let's say, for example, that you assume you will have access to client executives when you need it to complete specific tasks. Or, maybe you make assumptions about how quickly the client will make decisions that impact project progress. Of course, you work through these assumptions with the client and make it clear how the assumptions affect the schedule and the overall plan.
Typically, clients will give the nod to such assumptions and you press ahead with the project. Everyone feels good because they think they have covered all the bases. But if any assumption doesn't pan out, a problem remains. And it doesn't matter who made the assumption or why. You and the client must still dig yourselves out of a hole.
Obviously, the easiest way to mitigate this risk is to assume as little as possible. But you can't remove all assumptions, so focus on those that have the highest potential for impact on critical path activities. So, if you do make assumptions about the availability of executives for key meetings, nail down that access before you start the project. Look at all your critical path activities and determine if assumptions will govern their successful completion. If so, resolve them early. If you don't, a project delay is most likely in your future.
You Want It When?
More often than not, clients want fast results. Who can blame them? Once clients agree to hire you, they want things to move along as quickly as possible. In response, you may be tempted to make small cuts to the duration of specific tasks in an effort to shorten the project schedule. The inevitable result of chipping away at your plan is that the project approach is no longer adequate to meet the objective. And a project delay ensues.
Don't fall into the trap of shortening your schedule unless you can see a commensurate reduction in what the client expects you to deliver. When clients push on the pace of the schedule, stick to your guns unless they are willing to change the work you are to do. Your client relationships will benefit and you'll deliver what you promised. That's not to say that you shouldn't plan an aggressive schedule, because you should. But be careful that you truly understand the implications of changes to your schedule before you agree.
An Ounce of Prevention...
Bad news about projects is due to more factors than I have space to write about in this short article, but making too many assumptions and an overly aggressive schedule are two of the top culprits. Whatever the causes, you can take three actions early in your planning process to make any project path smoother and more productive.
| "It is easy to miss one or two small steps that are essential to achieving the client outcome." |
First, ensure that your project logic is firmly rooted in reality. Examine your proposed approach to the project. Ask yourself if you see precisely how your proposed work plan will lead to the value you've promised. It is easy to miss one or two small steps that are essential to achieving the client outcome. And once you miss an essential task--or underestimate its duration--trouble will follow. Validate the details of your approach with your client, and really go through the details. This one small step, taken early in your planning process, can spare you from enormous stress as the project progresses.
Second, express your estimated project completion date in a range, instead of using a fixed date. For an eight-week project, for example, prepare an initial schedule that assumes a project duration of eight to ten weeks. Then, once the project is underway, firm up your completion date. After all, no matter how good you are at estimating the time it will take to complete each task, there are always unknowns. By keeping a flexible end date, at least for a short time, you'll be able to size up the actual project environment and firm up the schedule.
Finally, plan for a few early project milestones as a way to see how your schedule and budget are holding up. You'll never know how good your plan is until people begin to execute against it. So, test the team early to shake the kinks out of your plan.
Once a Problem Arises
Every project has its up and downs, and some problems are unavoidable. When you hit that inevitable bump in the road, it's a test of your leadership. No matter how unpleasant it may be, confront the issue with the client without delay. Some consultants will try to make adjustments on the fly to avoid admitting a mistake. That usually makes the situation worse.
The bad news about a project will not improve with age, so get to your client as soon as you suspect a problem. Most importantly, when you have to be the bearer of bad news, always be ready to present two assurances: That you know the answer to the problem, and proof that it won't happen again in the future.
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