Starting Projects Too Soon

Dear Elizabeth:

I work on a product team with a very efficient manager—too efficient! In her efforts to make deadlines, she often has us start early on work—before we have all the requirements. It feels productive at first. But as requirements change, we end up going back and redoing or fixing work and start to fall behind. And we look bad. I’ve tried talking to my manager, but she still has us do these early project starts. She doesn’t understand that waiting for full requirements actually saves time. Advice? – Frustrated

Dear Frustrated:

That’s a hard one. The issue isn’t the early starts, but the fact that she doesn’t listen to you. It’s great that she’s efficient, but her method doesn’t work. You’ve offered constructive advice, which she has ignored. So let’s think about some ways to get her to take your advice seriously.

First, would it be more effective coming from someone else? Please don’t take this personally, but it’s often the case that individuals are influenced more by their peers or managers than their subordinates. While it’s grating to think that if she heard the same thing from a peer she’d act on it, when you’ve been telling her and getting ignored, the end result is the same and it’s a win for you. So if you can take your own ego out of the situation and work on ways to influence her through the people she listens to, that could work.

It might be hard to approach her boss, but if you have relationships with other managers who could take your side, then that’s a route to try.

Another option would be to ask your customers to provide feedback. Maybe she’d listen if she heard it directly from them? You don’t have to be blunt about it: do a client survey and ask what went well and what didn’t, and try to get some commentary around how they felt about the delays and what they felt could have been done differently to avoid those.

Finally, (and this can be a risky approach!), just say no. “Thanks for the suggestion that we start work now, but I’m going to wait until we’ve got the full requirements. That will be at the end of the month so what I can work on before then is X, Y, and Z to be totally ready.”

This approach is one that I wouldn’t advise in all cases. Also, I don’t know enough about your workplace culture and your boss to know if it is going to be suitable for you – but you’ll know if you or a more senior colleague have enough confidence and credibility to pull it off. Directly challenging your boss in a nice way might get the result you’re after.

As a general comment on saying No to your manager, I speak to a lot of people who would never dare challenge their boss. But they are just human, like you and me. Be empowered and take responsibility for your own success, and be excellent in the work that you do. If your manager challenges you back, go with it and put your objections in writing (nicely) so you’ve got some kind of comeback if they then blame you for the late finish later.

Good luck!

Every month, project management expert, Elizabeth Harrin, fields readers’ questions about the challenges, risks, and rewards of project work on the LiquidPlanner blog. This selection is used with permission.

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Written by Elizabeth Harrin

Elizabeth Harrin has over twenty years’ experience in projects. Elizabeth has led a variety of IT and process improvement projects including ERP and communications developments. She is also experienced in managing business change, having spent eight years working in financial services (including two based in Paris, France). Elizabeth is the author of 7 project management books including Managing Multiple Projects. She is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management and writes the popular blog, Rebel’s Guide to Project Management.

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