You get home from work, but the memory of the day’s insanity lingers. You’re short with the kids and you push the dog out of your way when he greets you. It’s the mental equivalent of a dead skunk in the middle of the road. You can’t escape it: The project you’re working on is a hot mess.
It’s chaotic. It’s disorganized. No one (or everyone) seems to be in charge. Everything is a priority. Communication . . . well to say “it sucks” would be generous. You might even want out, although realistic exit options are in short supply.
What SHOULD you do?
First off, you deserve a hearty congratulations—you must care about the work you do! Your work should be properly valued within the project environment. So what can you do about a bad environment? Depending on your role within the project, here are some possibilities:
For PROJECT WORKERS — Task workers, the heart and soul of any project, typically experience the greatest pain. If you’re in this position, feel enabled to provide feedback on what you’re facing. Look for opportunities for a “skip meeting” where you get a chance to talk to the boss’s boss, or higher. Use real examples and keep the emotion at bay (even though you’re at wit’s end). In short, feel free to complain, (nicely) highlighting your firsthand observations and asking “Can’t we do better?”
The objective is to get the “things aren’t going well” message to someone high enough in your org to do something about it. From experience, I find Project Sponsors and top leaders to be VERY interested in what workers are experiencing. They rely on backchannels for this information. Use them.
For PROJECT LEADERS — You’re trying your best, but uncertainty prevails. Surprises seem to crop up daily. You might as well throw out everything you’re doing since so little seems to actually work. The Agile software isn’t working. And if you’re properly keeping your ears open, the project team is complaining mightily.
Your objective is to get help. Look for someone you trust, someone with experience who can assess your project environment. No need to start making changes until you understand the problems. You will be tempted to search the internet for solutions (it’s FULL of ‘em!). Resist, and have someone smart evaluate your project environment. Give these folks full access to your team and sponsors and you should have a result in 1-5 days. Then it’s time to work on your project improvement plan.
For PROJECT SPONSORS — Spend the money to have project performance experts evaluate and provide the solution that will work for your team. Your project team’s health should be your primary concern and you owe it to them to provide the best possible project environment. If that rationale fails to motivate you, remember, it’s your head on the line if this project fails.
For all three roles, the common advice is TAKE ACTION! Don’t accept chaos. Don’t accept dysfunctionality. Don’t accept yet another downer day. Take action to improve the productivity of your team. Your family and pets will appreciate it when you get home.
