I suppose this is more of a rant post than anything else, but common sense and any sane PM probably employs the method that if a client is late on milestone deliverables, the project will have some risk introduced.
The problem I'm experiencing is that my own management team is always siding with the client. (*some background, the culture where I work is not great, lots of finger pointing, too much work, not enough resources etc etc)
If I raise these risks well in advance, communicate to management and the client properly, the client obviously still wants to push for the agreed to delivery date, but my management does not back the team up. They consider it a failed project and blame the project team.
It seems very simple to me, we agree to a schedule for a reason (and I've padded the dates) but I can't seem to convince management that the client IS partially responsible for delays.
I guess I'm just looking for advice from others who have experienced the same situation. Saving Changes...
If that is the company culture I suggest you find another company to work for. There's not much you can do about it unless you want to go over your managers head and talk to someone at a higher level and let them know the situation. Either way I'd polish up my resume if I were you. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
That is my plan. I tried what I could to change the culture or at least instill rational thinking but they're just not getting it. I guess that's the nature of a startup. They WANT to get there, they don't want to go through the pain to actually get there.
At least I can know that I'm not nuts now that I've had 3 or 4 years of PM experience and am finally starting to wrap a formal education around my experience. Saving Changes...
Michael WellesManaging Director| EdWel Project and Risk Management TrainingChicago, Il, United States
As silly as this sounds, customer satisfaction requires customer participation. Until your client recognizes this very simple proposition, you are in an untenable position. Clients must assume a more active role in the success of the engagement. Sometimes it can be a question of culture, however, many times it is because processes are not in place to ensure active client participation. It could be as simple as an SOW, but it usually requires much more than that.
Jakob Veje HansenIT Project Management Consultant| Veje ConsultAarhus N, Denmark
Hi,
Is it correct that your problem is more about your own management's interpretation of the situation, than it is the actual delays on the client's side?
If that is the case, perhaps you could help management understand the situationen by drawing up a few scenarios early in the project:
When you've come up with a plan, and the client has agreed, try to simulate what happens if the client misses one or more deadlines by a week or a month (or whatever makes sense). Make a plan based on those new delivery milestones. Present the original plan and the modified plan as 2 possible scenarios to your own management and explain what you find the most likely scenario (based on previous experiences). By doing this, at least they should understand that you'll probably be delayed once more, and that client has a responsibility. In the best case they might even begin to come up with ideas on how they can help to avoid the situation.
Regards,
Jakob Saving Changes...
Evan SandersProject Manager| Health CatalystUt, United States
It is possible that your management is "siding" with the client because they are convinced of your ability to pull a rabbit out of a hat, and it's easier for them to ask your team to put in the extra effort to deliver on time than it is for them to have a frank and open discussion with client, which in their view could result in the client cancelling the project.
Similar to Jakob's ideas, I think you will benefit by presenting scenarios to both your management and the client shortly before or around the time that a deadline is missed. For example, you could show that with the missed deadline, you can only deliver on time if you cut corners on quality or remove some features. You should stress the point that you care as much as they do about the project's success, and that you need them to help you agree on some tradeoffs so you can deliver on time. After one or more rounds like this, your client or management may become more agreeable, since they will see your level of commitment, and they will also have had a chance to directly see the consequences of their own actions.
Good luck in your efforts. I have experienced both the good and the bad examples of your situation. In the good examples, I've been able to partner with clients to create a "blame-free" environment where the emphasis is on making the project successful, not on pointing fingers. In the bad examples, management continued to believe in my team's ability to pull a rabbit out of a hat, right up until the rabbit (and the client) was no longer there. Saving Changes...
