Project managing the following situation:
- The client is asking for a timeline/status update. We just lost a key dev resource potentially impacting the project's deadline.
- Clients and resources are all working for the same company, in different divisions under the board. My team is also in a different division. No direct hierarchical relationships between the client, the dev and the project manager.
- Senior exec of the division of the dev resource we lost doesn't want me to communicate on the resource loss. Instead he is asking me to remove resource assignment to my client status, so they can figure it out internally without "justifying" themselves to the client, and not "offering" me any alternative ("we have time to figure it out" - technically we don't as that resource to work on a task from the critical path now).
- It's been now almost a month on a 9 month scale project - still no alternative plan ("next week..."). I can't give an update to the client except "we are figuring it out", leaving the client in the dark.
- And in fact not only the client is in the dark, but I am too. I feel like have a good idea of what's going on the critical path of my project is one of my primary responsibilities. Other stakeholders (not just the client but other divisions involved in the project) could complain about this and put me in a bad situation.
- Senior exec only wants to talk to my manager, can't confront him directly unfortunately. My manager (head of the project management team) agrees that in theory we should be more transparent but for political reason we shouldn't go "against" this senior exec, it's not in our "best interests" and could negatively impact my career in this company.
- But I also feel like not being transparent will significantly damage my abilities to manage the project. I feel it's like "damned if I do, damned if I don't".
Any advice would be much appreciated.
PS: apologies for posting anonymously. Saving Changes...
