Or
should I have titled this, “GET TO WORK!”
This is an age-old question, isn’t it? And you would think that if the
Project Manager (PM) did their job and was very specific as to what is expected
from any resource, this would not be an issue. Unfortunately, it is, especially
in a Professional Services (PS) organization where resources are stretched very
thin. But even in a Project Management Organization (PMO), this is true because
the same can be said of resources: they are stretched thin. In this current
environment of “doing more with less,” the truth is that organizations are
getting less with less.
So how
does a PM confront this? Once again, I would like to introduce you to a PM
named “Bob” and a situation he confronted.
Organizing the team
Bob was
given a highly visible project that was strategically aligned with his
organization. After reviewing the SOW and meeting with the project sponsor and
his management team, Bob understood the importance and significance of the
project. He went to the resource manager with the abilities needed of his
resources and was given a Business Analyst (BA), a Technical Analyst (TA) and
even a Subject Matter Expert (SME) who was to provide technical and product
guidance to the project team. Bob had several project team meetings, and in
these meetings Bob communicated that this project was strategically aligned
with the organization and was a key deliverable to the organization.
Troubled Waters
After
the initiation and planning phases of the project, Bob and his project team
were well into the execution phase of the project. Bob believed, because his
resources had told him, that they were proceeding along just fine on their
tasks. Bob set meetings with each of the resources individually to review their
work and ask if they needed him to help them meet their assigned tasks. The BA had a deliverable for a Functional
Design Document (FSD) where the BA had to consult with the TA and the SME for
their input to that document. The BA told Bob that he was placed on a new
project with a critical delivery that took him away from Bob’s project. Bob
inquired as to why the BA had not told Bob earlier that this may be a risk
before it became an issue. The BA told Bob that he believed he could deliver
both tasks on time, but was overwhelmed with the work on the other project. Bob
did not accept this explanation. The BA assured Bob in very strong terms that he
was going to deliver the FSD in three days.
I didn’t lie, I
just stretched the truth
So Bob
immediately did two things. First he scheduled the meeting with the BA in two
days. Then he scheduled a meeting with the client and the project sponsor that
day and told them of the late delivery of the FSD. They were not happy, as that
made them late on their deliverables to their management. Bob then walked into
his manager’s office and closed the door. Bob reported what had happened and
told his manager that in two days if there was a further delay.
After
two days, the BA told Bob that he was going to be late again in delivering the
FSD. Bob told the BA that he was not pleased and stated that he was going to
have a meeting with his manager and ask that the BA and his manager attend. At
the meeting, Bob asked the BA directly, “Why did you lie about the delivery of
the FSD?” The BA was visibly shaken at the question and stated, “I did not lie,
I just stretched the truth.” Bob, his manager, and the BA's manager did not
accept this answer. The BA was immediately replaced on the project and the BA
manager had a new BA assigned that was familiar with the deliverable.
Lesson Learned
Should
Bob have known about the BA sooner? Honestly, this has happened to all of us,
whether or not we are a PM. The issue is not if Bob should have known sooner;
we all should know sooner about a specific project resource. The issue here is Bob's
reaction and if it was appropriate. I contend that his actions were good and
Bob did exactly what he should have done in this situation. I am sure there are
high-level managers who would disagree with me that Bob’s first job was to know
sooner. I am not disagreeing with them. I am, however, going to say to them
that if you ask for more from less, you sometimes have to expect this
situation. In this situation, Bob did what he could and learned, the hard way,
not to completely trust this specific BA in future projects.
The best first casino no deposit bonus codes in 2021
ReplyDeleteTop 7 best no deposit bonus jeetwin codes in 2021 · 1. 카지노사이트 Red 퍼스트카지노 Dog Casino · 2. mBit Casino · 3. Microgaming Casino · 4. 888 Casino · 5. LeoVegas Casino.