What to do when your project is falling off track
There are tons of reasons why a project may be having problems and is in major failure mode. If you’ve ever experienced this, or are experiencing it right now, the good news is that there are a few steps you can take to rescue a problem project.
But first, how do you even know if you have a problem project on your hands?
How to know if you have a problem project
There are a few common indications of a problem project.
Having a problem project often means having lots of conflict, having people involved in the project who won’t speak to each other, or being behind schedule or over budget.
The main point is that a problem project means that things aren’t going the way they should be, and you’re often left firefighting.
Don’t shy away
The better you get at understanding problem projects and how to handle them, the better you’ll be as a project manager. Remember: we learn through DOING, not just gaining knowledge.
You might hate conflict and problems (we all do), but the more you’re exposed to it, the more you need to fine-tune your skillsets of dealing with it.
Ensure you have the right support
You’ll need to go back to the basics and really ensure you have the right support for your project.
You need a steering committee, and a lot of the time, project managers don’t have a steering committee that is supporting them, backing them up, and giving them the approvals they need… And that’s why they have a problem project!
Yes, you have your team members, but your steering committee is just as important because they are the ones removing roadblocks and guiding you.
More strategies to rescue the problem project
There are several more steps you can take to rescue the problem project! Head over to YouTube with me and I’ll tell you all about it.
Want to lead every project to success? Make sure you check out my SLAY Project Management course where I give you all the templates, tips, and techniques to implement to SLAY your projects.
Adriana Girdler, PMP | Creator of Slay Project Management™