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If at First and Last, You Don't Succeed...
© 2002-2003 Esther Derby
This column originally appeared in STQE magazine, Sept/Oct 2002
Sometimes, no matter how talented we are and how hard we work, we will not be able to succeed, at least within the constraints we are handed.
Consider Sam, who approached me after a management class I led with Johanna Rothman. Sam wanted my opinion—he was on a tough project and wanted to know what he could do better to make his project work.
Sam described his situation. He had been hired to manage a project that was already underway. The project had a fixed delivery date because of a compelling business reason and established quality goals because it was in a regulated industry. Sam was willing to accept these constraints because he assumed that he would have authority to negotiate scope reduction, add staff, or deliver iteratively.
Sam spent his first couple of weeks at his new job learning the project story, meeting the people, and thinking about how he could meet project goals. After working closely with the technical team, Sam had to admit that he did not have a credible plan to meet the scope, quality, and schedule goals with the current staff. When he went to his boss with these concerns and asked to add staff, he was told it wasn’t an option. His boss told him he had to achieve the project goals with the staff he had. Sam left the meeting feeling he was doomed to fail.
“What can I do to make this project succeed?” he asked.
It sounds like succeeding is important to you,” I said. Sam nodded his head yes. “Well, let’s look at how to get there.”
If you’re in a spot like Sam, here are some things you can do to be successful:
- Start by assuming that a reasonable approach will get reasonable results. If, after making your best effort, you cannot see a way to make the project work, have a frank discussion with your boss. Tell him, “I haven’t been able to develop a credible plan. I don’t think this project is possible given the current constraints. Here’s why.” Then lay out the situation as you see it. If you have some ideas on how to make the project possible, describe the alternatives and risks.
Try to anticipate your boss’s concerns and interests and have answers ready. The better prepared you are with facts rather than gut-feelings, the better your chances of succeeding in this conversation. Your boss may see something that you didn’t see. Or your boss may recognize that it’s time to look at the alternatives you’ve presented.
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If you boss isn’t willing or able to hear what you have to say, decide what you are willing to do. You may not always
like the alternatives, but you do have choices. You can look for another project, look for another job, or you can choose to stay with the project. If you choose to stay on the project,
change your definition of success and choose to learn as much as you can. The key is to make it your choice, not something you are stuck with.
Work on one of the alternatives you believe is feasible. When it gets to the end date, you’ll deliver something rather than nothing. (Of course if you have unreasonable management, they may not see it quite this way.)
Keep a journal to record your observations, the decisions you make, and the results you achieve. What actions are working well? What decisions would you change in retrospect? We often learn more from failures than from successes.
Don’t work yourself or your team more than 40 (give or take) hours a week. It won’t help you meet quality goals on an impossible deadline, and it probably won’t bring an impossible project in any sooner; it will only add to the strain on your health and well being.
Pay attention to the team. Most likely they know the project is impossible, too. Have a heart-to-heart with them. Tell them you want everyone to work as hard as possible (but not overtime) and that you have serious concerns about meeting the goals even if every one does his best. Ask the team if they have any ideas on how to make the project work. Knowing that you recognize the situation the project is in will help the team remain focused and energized. And working reasonable hours is a better strategy for reaching quality goals than going on the fabled death march.
- Consider what you might do differently next time. Develop a set of questions you can ask to explore the constraints and your actual authority to work with project variables before you sign on for the next project. Find out about the history of projects in the organization. Does the organization have a history of death marches and failed projects? How is success actually measured and rewarded in the organization? How will you negotiate so you have an achievable scope and the resources you need to meet project goals?
Given the project success rate in our industry, sooner or later you’ll land a project that is not feasible given the constraints. You’re not alone. Even though we often learn more from our failures than our successes, its one of those things most of us don’t want to do more than once.
And what ever happened to Sam?
Sam’s boss didn’t want to hear about feasible alternatives. He told Sam to suck it up and bring the project in on time.
Last time I heard from him, Sam was still trying to succeed with a set of constraints that make meeting the project goals next to impossible. He had taken on the system architect job and is working 80+ hours a week. He’s stuck hoping that if he just works hard enough, a miracle will happen, and the project will come in on time. Poor Sam.
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