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.Don t include the more detailed network diagramused to monitor your team s progress.There is no need to burden management with unnecessary detail.If your project is on schedule and within budget, the entire report can be as short as three pages one each forthe schedule and the budget, and one to describe the project and add the one and only comment: This projectis on schedule and should be completed on time and within the expense budget. When further explanation is required, try to identify the problems in terms of likely solutions.What can theperson receiving the report do to help you overcome a problem? Anything other than action-orientedcomments are not productive.Example: You are preparing a report on the status of your project.You are currently on schedule, but youexpect to run into problems in the coming month.Another department was expected to provide information toyou, but the manager of that department recently told you it would be late: She has been given a separate,unexpected, and unscheduled job, and the deadline is critical; she simply doesn t have the staff available tocomplete the work promised to you.This will delay your final deadline by two weeks.A critical point to remember concerning your report to management: Missing a promised deadline is notalways a disaster (in fact, in some situations, management accepts delays as normal).What is a disaster,though, is failing to disclose the delay in advance.Your report should be as accurate and as complete aspossible, even if it contains bad news.In the example given, there are two ways to disclose the problem.One is to place blame, which does not solvethe problem.Another method is to offer constructive solutions where possible.You can state in yourexplanation, The project will be delayed by two weeks, because we don t expect Department X to deliver itswork on time. Or you can explain, Based on the current schedule, the project will be delayed by two weeks.We recommend that Department X be given additional temporary help so that it may deliver its reportaccording to schedule. Under the second alternative, you propose a solution to the problem without placing blame.Chances are, theother manager can do nothing to solve the delay problem, and who s to blame is of no interest to the personreading your report.Proposed solutions are far more revealing about the character of the project and of theproject manager.THE MISSED DEADLINEYou may speculate on the question of deadlines and conclude that management is not terribly concerned withtimely completion.This is the unfortunate state of affairs in many companies: Deadlines are missed so oftenthat missed deadlines become normal.I suggest that you take every deadline seriously as a promise to deliver, and consider that delay is notacceptable unless it s also unavoidable.If it is, then management should be advised as early as possible thatthe deadline will not be kept.Previous Table of Contents Next Products | Contact Us | About Us | Privacy | Ad Info | HomeUse of this site is subject to certain Terms & Conditions, Copyright © 1996-2000 EarthWeb Inc.All rightsreserved.Reproduction whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission ofEarthWeb is prohibited.Read EarthWeb's privacy statement. Little Black Book of Project Management, Theby Michael C.ThomsettAMACOM BooksISBN: 0814477321 Pub Date: 01/01/90Search this book:Search TipsAdvanced SearchPrevious Table of Contents NextRemember these important points concerning deadlines:Title1.They may be set early on purpose.If your company s management is accustomed to misseddeadlines, it may fall into the habit of imposing an early deadline in the hopes that you will finishyour project by the time they really need it.For example, the president must have your report no laterthan May 1; you are given a final deadline of April 1, in the belief that the extra four weeks will be-----------enough time to complete the job.Setting early deadlines only encourages continuing failure to meet them; thus, the problem is intensifiedrather than solved.The best way to overcome this situation is to meet the early deadline wheneverpossible.2.Management may accept missed deadlines.Top management may not be happy about the fact thatdeadlines are often missed, but it may live with the situation because everyone does it. This is not anacceptable solution to the overall problem, and it should never be used as a reason for missing thedeadline on your project under any circumstances whatsoever.3.Management may depend on your timely delivery to decide on other matters.To a project managerdeeply involved in the details of keeping a project on schedule, the immediate deadline may seem likethe highest priority.Remember, though, management may be waiting on the results of your project todecide other matters.If you miss your deadline, the consequences may be more far-reaching than justyour project.4.One of your responsibilities is keeping management in touch with your work.As project manager,you are charged with the duty of letting management know what s going on just as you areaccountable for budgets, schedules, and results in your capacity as a department manager.Misseddeadlines and emerging problems (with proposed solutions) should be conveyed upwards.The pipelinefrom you to top management should be open and consistent; hopefully information will flow in bothdirections.5.Delays may be acceptable, not because they happen frequently, but because of other delays beyondyour project.Management may express little concern when you advise them that your project will belate.Don t assume that this means your missed deadline is not a problem.It may be that other delayshave made your original deadline less critical.Example: You have been given the project of proposing new budget guidelines.Your final report, yourealize, will be six weeks late.When you inform management, their response is, No problem
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