In the wonderful world of project management, there are times when you may be faced with a project that has clearly hit a wall. The signs are often obvious - milestones have been missed, the budget is nearly exhausted, team morale is at a low point, and finger-pointing is commonplace.
It is undoubtedly a challenging situation, but it is not insurmountable. With the right, structured approach and a clear action plan, you can breathe new life into a project like this and put it back on the path to success. In this article we present a structured action plan for the first 30 days as a new project manager in such a situation.
Week 1: Situation report
- Project Review : Start by delving into the history of the project. Dive into project documentation, including the original charter, project plan, budget allocations, and progress reports. Your goal is to understand what was planned versus what actually happened.
- Conversations with stakeholders : Schedule conversations with key project stakeholders, including sponsors, team members, and possibly customers or end users. Listen carefully to their perspectives and expectations regarding the project.
- Assessment of the team : Evaluate the existing project team - their skills, strengths and the dynamics within the group. Look for gaps in skills or issues that are affecting teamwork.
- Root Cause Analysis : Start a comprehensive root cause analysis. This is the phase where you need to dig deeper, beyond superficial issues like budget overruns or deadline delays. Identify underlying factors contributing to project challenges.
Week 2: Strategic Planning
- Project Goals : Reconsider and evaluate the project goals. Determine whether they are still relevant and achievable given the current circumstances.
- Resource Analysis : Analyze the project's resource allocation, including budget, staff, and tools. Identify critical resource bottlenecks that need to be addressed.
- Risk Assessment : Update the project's risk register and identify new risks that have arisen due to the current project status. Also re-examine existing risks.
- Recovery planning : Create a recovery plan that addresses key identified issues. This plan should include revised project goals, realistic timelines, adjusted resource allocations, and risk mitigation strategies.
Week 3: Communication and restructuring
- Communication plan : Develop a transparent communication strategy. Be open about the project issues and outline your recovery plan. Open and honest communication is key to gaining support from stakeholders and the project team.
- Team composition : Make changes to the team structure if necessary. This may include bringing in new skills, reassigning tasks, or resolving staffing issues that are affecting team performance.
- Buy-In : Present your recovery plan to stakeholders and the project team. Gaining their buy-in and commitment to the restart is crucial.
- Quick Wins : Identify and realize quick wins - small, achievable tasks that can have an immediate positive impact on the project. This can boost morale and demonstrate progress.
Week 4: Implementation and monitoring
- Restart : Officially start the implementation phase of the recovery plan. Make sure all team members understand their roles and responsibilities under the new plan.
- Progress monitoring : Establish a robust system to monitor progress against the new plan. This should include regular status meetings, updated project tracking tools, and clear metrics for success.
- Feedback loops : Set up processes for continuous feedback from the team and stakeholders. Be prepared to adjust the plan based on this feedback.
- Team Spirit : Actively work on team building and morale-boosting activities. Recognize successes, encourage a constructive and positive work attitude, and encourage collaboration among team members. Pay attention to the mood of the team.
Continuous measures
- Ongoing Adaptation : Continuously assess the progress and results of your replanning. Be flexible and willing to adjust the plan based on your observations. But keep in mind that time, costs and quality cannot be changed without good - and well communicated - reasons!
- Stakeholder management : Maintain continuous and proactive contact with stakeholders throughout the project. Your ongoing support and feedback is critical to project recovery.
- Knowledge Management: Document insights and best practices for future reference. The experience you gain from reviving this problem project often has invaluable value to your organization.
Maybe you should also consult experts?
If you find yourself in difficult weather with a project and need a coach, sparring partner or even fearless project manager, then you can count on Gutmark, Radtke & Company. With our many years of experience in project management and our track record in revitalizing even challenging projects, we can make a decisive contribution to your project success.
Saving a project at risk is undoubtedly a challenge, but it is not impossible. With a well-structured approach, effective communication and unwavering commitment, you can breathe new life into your project and put it back on the path to success.