Mark Donnison, MBA

Very important to listen to what the team is grappling with. Are there struggles in defined areas or are different people dealing with different issues? Solutions are possible when that becomes clear. Either individual support would help, or some adjustments to the project deliverables may be needed as examples. Once team members see and believe that their voices are heard and actions are taken, it's amazing to watch how much more engaged teams become and are willing to contribute to solutions. It can be tough sometimes hearing what they have to say, but listening to understand, thanking people for speaking up, and acting on their input goes a long way.

Caring for the team and acknowledging progress are key once change is underway. Always important to remember that adoption of new practices or tools takes time, and the task of the leader is to maintain discipline of a long-term view and recognize wins along the way. Really great leaders will tailor the individual recognition for what works best for each person. Do they thrive with the public recognition or do they prefer more private acknowledgement? More effort for the boss but it pays off in the long run!

An important element of project planning is risk management. With a solid risk plan slippage should have been identified with appropriate mitigations mapped out. Having that in place and used in stakeholder communication should promote a sense of confidence and that the project is in a state of control, despite the setback. I would add that the cause of the delay is of note. Was it an outside unpredictable factor and a surprise? Or was there an internal deficiency? Unexpected turnover, sourcing issues, equipment failure? These should be noted as potential risks already as they're common occurrences. If mitigations failed, that's a learning and course correct. Ultimately, the response to get the project back on track is key in the moment.

It depends on the initiative and the strategic plan direction. Most strat plans have a series of goals that would likely blend growth, efficiency, effectiveness, perhaps structural changes and some may aim for acquisition or a merger. What imperative drove the project initiation? For a particular initiative, it may be possible to aim for both. Having worked in sectors where product quality was a significant feature, I came to appreciate that poor quality costs more than good quality. Cost drivers such as waste, re-work, recalls, duplicative efforts are all factors to analyze. If there are notable gains to be had, I would advocate that delivering good quality improves cost management. A win-win internally and a W for your customers.

Clarity on decision making criteria and authority are important. Being aligned on the extent to which staff have the leeway to make decisions can also prevent missteps. An open dialogue to see what an employee feels confident with, capable of, and instances where input or guidance are needed sets a productive tone. This fits nicely with situational leadership understanding the level of motivation and skills of employees. When misalignment arises, work through what is causing that. Is it differing expectations, under-developed capabilities, lack of or over-confidence, or something else? Having conversations to promote clarity and encourage development will always lead to better results.

Resistance is normal when dealing with change or new ways of approaching things. Leaders must EMBRACE it and lean in to address it. Chances are something was missed along the way. Use a model like ADKAR to understand where your team is and deploy targeted actions subject to the stage they're at. I always start with questioning whether the team feels like they're cared for. It's the basis for building trust which reduces a degree of resistance. If there are gaps, they need to be addressed and then build from there.