10.38 Handling Deadlines

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Deadlines are a fact of life. Sometimes, for whatever reason, something happens that causes a crunch on the deadline. How do Project Managers deal with slips? Well, start with the facts. Avoid any other type of discussion but the facts, and only those relevant to the problem should be brought up for discussion. For example, a sandbox environment necessary for software testing was not set up because the hardware was not available. Sticking to the facts, when asked why the hardware was not available, the Project Manager told the CEO that since he (the CEO) did not approve the purchase order, the equipment was not obtained and this part of the project could not proceed as planned. The CEO, visibly upset, demanded to know why it was not made clear to him that this was a necessity. The Project Manager stated that he was at a loss to explain it because he had sent no fewer than 11 emails to the CEO explaining the need, had set up two meetings through the CEO’s administrative assistant, both of which were blown off, and tried to call several times on the CEO’s business line over the course of the last few days. Magically, the purchase order was signed on the spot, ordered to be expedited that day, and within 48 hours the equipment was available for the sandbox. True story: The Project Manager survived unscathed because facts are undeniable. That fact mitigates pain.

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