Project Smart ~ Exploring trends and developments in project management today

Calendar icon
Adobe PDF icon

How Do You Deliver Bad News About Your Project?

~ By Jennifer Whitt

Cartoon of business leader and follower: WAY behind you

We know the expression "Don't Kill the Messenger" indicates that the person delivering the bad news is not the same person responsible for causing the bad news. In our day-to-day activity as Project Managers we find that the recipient of bad news (managers, project stakeholders, and customers) sometime forgets this and react inappropriately.

It is a given that the Project Manager is responsible for the success of their project. However, there are events that arise that may be entirely out of anyone's control. For example; shifts in management at a client could introduce delays, or new technology is taking longer to implement than anticipated.

Add to this the role that the PM plays as Risk Manager on reporting issues that have the potential of turning into bad news, and the messenger can turn into someone that nobody likes to see. This is not a good position to be in.

Over the years, I've watched three different approaches PMs have used to deliver bad news:

  • The Grenade: This is where the messenger walks into a crowded room (typically full of executives), delivers the bad news with all of its horrendous consequences without any warning, and then leaves. This is totally unacceptable, ineffective and not sustainable…primarily for the PM's career.
  • The Silent Treatment: This is where the messenger chooses NOT to deliver the message. The reasoning may be that they feel the problem will resolve itself, or they don't want to deal with the subsequent activity necessary to resolve the situation. This approach is not recommended.
  • The Trial Balloon: This has been the most effective method I've seen used. The messenger meets with a couple of stakeholders at a time, laying out the facts of the situation with a "let me pass something by you" approach. This allows for additional options to be considered, further information to be introduced (for example, more resources may be available that the PM did not know were available) and crafting of the final message to occur prior to introducing it to the entire group. The result is that the messenger doesn't stand alone, multiple options have been considered, and the bad news is not sensationalised.

Delivering bad news about your project is an inevitable part of our jobs as Project Managers. It takes discretion, skill and good judgment on how to effectively deliver bad news without leaving a path of destruction behind.

Jennifer Whitt is a speaker, trainer, Certified Performance Coach, author, and company president of PDUs2Go.com. She is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and knows how difficult it can be to make time for classroom or online learning so she has developed a new way for Project Managers to Earn n' Learn while on the go. For more information, please visit http://www.pdus2go.com

Comments

Be the first to comment on this article.

Add a comment



(never displayed)



 
2000
Enter the word chair backwards.
Notify me of new comments via email.
Remember my form inputs on this computer.

10 Golden Rules for New Project Managers

Head filled with words, plan, think, strategy

Today dozens of new project managers will start their first project, a daunting prospect. Here are my tips for surviving life as a project manager.

Rolling Wave Planning

Blue rolling wave

What is rolling wave planning and how does it affect the critical chain? This article by John Goodpasture provides a detailed explanation.

Resourcing Project Managers

Project manager jobs advert in a newspaper

Ironically, although resourcing production team members is a significant part of a Project Manager's role, very little focus is placed on resourcing the Project Managers themselves.

How Agile Practices Reduce Requirements Risks

Road warning sign - Risks Ahead

Every software project carries some risk, but many of these risks can be mitigated. That's true of problems related to product requirements.

PROJECT SMART is the project management resource that helps managers at all levels improve their performance. We provide an important knowledge base for those involved in managing projects of all kinds. With weekly exclusive updates, we keep you in touch with the latest project management thinking.

WE ARE CONNECTED ~ Follow us on social media to get regular updates and opinion on what's happening in the world of project management.

Latest Comments

Philip VonSteinmann commented on…
A Brief History of Project Management | Project Smart
- Wed 8 July 3:34am

Michael Contorno-Hubbard commented on…
Better Coaching Using the GROW Model
- Fri 26 June 2:09pm

Arnel Dela Cruz commented on…
Use Your Whole Brain: Leveraging Right-Brained Thinking in a Left-Brained World
- Wed 24 June 7:16am

Latest tweets

General Project Management • Re: What are the best remote working tips these days? https://t.co/rncJH3IyhU about 5 days ago

General Project Management • Re: What are the best remote working tips these days? https://t.co/6lAUs5iU8E about 5 days ago

General Project Management • Re: What are the best remote working tips these days? https://t.co/ZwSkgfQXPA about 5 days ago

Project Smart. All rights reserved.