How can you handle unexpected changes to project deadlines in sustainability?

When Sustainability is treated as a strategic issue, there are many stakeholders that need to be consulted and aligned. It is natural for timelines to shift around, so it is good to budget 30% more time than you think you might need. Clearly communicate timelines to all stakeholders and follow up regularly when implementing projects.

In long-term projects like sustainability, it's common for deadlines to change. To handle this, always have a plan with smaller goals. If deadlines shift, look at these small goals to see what needs to be done to catch up. Ask yourself: what extra time and resources do you need now? Also, keep an eye out for any new risks. This way, you can stay on track even when things change.

En la evaluación de impacto por cambios en plazos de proyectos de sostenibilidad, mi enfoque es: Identificación de áreas afectadas: Reviso objetivos y tareas para determinar ajustes necesarios en tiempo y recursos. Análisis de Riesgos y Oportunidades: Utilizo una matriz de riesgos para evaluar impactos y busco oportunidades emergentes. Herramientas de Planificación: Aplico diagramas de Gantt y análisis DAFO para visualizar ajustes y comprender el nuevo contexto. Priorización y Decisión: Enfoco en áreas críticas para una toma de decisiones efectiva. Documentación: Registro el proceso para transparencia y aprendizaje futuro. Manejar estos cambios requiere atención y planificación reflexiva para mantener la sostenibilidad del proyecto.

Auch in langfristigen Projekten kann eine agile Vorgehensweise helfen, die Ziele im AUge zu behalten, sinnvoll zu priorisieren und im Fokus zu behalten. Dabei sind die Rollen und Aufgaben klar verteilt. Aufgabe des Teams ist es u.a. die Auswirkungen von Änderungen zu bewerten und in den Gesamtkontext einzubetten.

In addressing unexpected deadline changes in sustainability projects, it's vital to go beyond traditional tools like Gantt charts or risk matrices. You should also consider the adaptive capacity of your team and stakeholders. How can you leverage this change to further improve your project's objectives? Sometimes, a shift in deadlines can be a hidden opportunity to rethink your approach, ensuring your project is not only on time but also more impactful and aligned with sustainable principles.

Al negociar el alcance de proyectos de sostenibilidad con cambios de plazo, aplico los criterios SMART. Explico a las partes interesadas cómo estos ajustes hacen que los objetivos sean Específicos, Medibles, Alcanzables, Relevantes y Temporales. Esto facilita un entendimiento claro y acuerdos realistas sobre lo que se puede entregar, garantizando que las expectativas estén alineadas con las nuevas limitaciones de tiempo y recursos.

Tras aplicar los criterios SMART para redefinir el alcance, procedo a ajustar el plan del proyecto. Esto incluye actualizar el cronograma y el presupuesto para alinearlos con los objetivos acordados y los plazos revisados. Mejoro la gestión de riesgos y actualizo los planes de contingencia para mitigar posibles incertidumbres. Herramientas como Asana son clave para monitorizar el progreso, asegurando que el proyecto se mantenga en curso dentro de las nuevas limitaciones de tiempo y recursos.

When deadlines continue to change in a sustainability project, this means that the sustainability target and priorities were not clearly baselined and agreed upon by all stakeholders internally and externally and/or the sustainability target was too ambitious for the time frame allocated to it. As it is not always possible to change the scope in the middle of a sustainability project, my experience and recommendation would be to assess the baseline in that moment of time & communicate the change with all stakeholders - including explaining the gaps and recommendations based on the baseline. This is better than still proceeding with the sustainability target and then under delivering. ESG & sustainability is a journey, not a destination.

It's crucial to keep everyone involved in a project informed, whether things are going smoothly or there are changes. Regular 15-minute catch-ups each morning, either online or in person, can help everyone stay aligned on daily tasks and highlight any risks. For important updates, follow up with an email. Consistent communication within a clear framework helps keep the project on track. If you need to escalate issues to senior management, have a focused meeting and always summarise the key points in an email for future reference.

Tras actualizar el plan del proyecto, comunico los cambios a las partes interesadas vía correo electrónico. Este incluye detalles sobre la nueva fecha límite, el alcance ajustado y sus impactos en las responsabilidades de cada uno. En los emails, brindo orientación y ofrezco apoyo para facilitar la adaptación al nuevo contexto del proyecto. Además, fomento la retroalimentación para asegurar una transición fluida y efectiva ante los ajustes realizados.

I think it's important to reflect on exactly what didn't work. But also: stay calm. In the end, it's usually not dramatic that a deadline couldn't be met. The important thing is how you deal with it.

El manejo de cambios en los plazos del proyecto es una oportunidad de aprendizaje. Reflexiono sobre los aciertos y errores, analizando qué funcionó y qué se puede mejorar. Recojo y evalúo datos y feedback de los involucrados para entender mejor el impacto de estos cambios. Utilizo métodos como análisis post-mortem y encuestas de retroalimentación para recoger lecciones aprendidas, las cuales aplico en la planificación y ejecución de futuros proyectos de sostenibilidad.

We experience lots of new and fast learnings in the sustainability field. Agility to change scope and deadlines is almost a must, to guarantee the most positive possible impact. During my work, especially with a larger team, I have found it useful to encourage the culture of learning. This way, the team members do not consider it their failure to: - Voice the need for changing deadline for valid reasons - Try new things and decide to stop if the effort shows not viable, while taking learnings for building something better. Within the learning culture, people motivation grows as well as the collaboration, often to achieve even more impactful outcomes. Predicament being, everyone has clear goals, roles and accountabilities.

Unexpected changes in project deadlines, especially delays within the realm of sustainability, are ironic more readily accepted and it seem to have more flexible deadlines in sustainability. Sustainability should be as high a priority as revenue. Both are critical to the long-term success and ethical standing of an organization. When sustainability projects are delayed, it’s essential to advocate for the same level of urgency and resource allocation as any other revenue-related aspect that affects the company’s performance and reputation.

Leading with unexpected changes in sustainability project deadlines is unfortunately a reality that we have to deal with and that requires flexibility and strategic skills. When this happens, we have to communicate the change to the whole team and promote corrections so that this type of situation doesn't happen again in the future. It's obvious that these projects have a big goal that sometimes causes delays because it's often ambitious and companies aren't prepared to achieve it, so I suggest that the big goal be broken down into smaller goals and interdisciplinary achievements so that in the end it's easier to achieve the big goal and we have the whole team motivated and helping to achieve the big goal.

Auch im Kontext von Nachhaltigkeitsprojekten sollte der prositive Einfluß eines agiles setups zumindest evaluiert werden. Dabei kommt es allerdings atsrk auf die Zielsetzung und die Bereitschaft der Stakeholder an, sich auf eine veränderte Zusammenarbeit mit ggf. ungewohnten Rechten und Pflichten einzulassen. Diese muss unbedingt im Vorfeld abgeklärt und vereinbar werden.

It is important to manage expectations to the project owner both verbally and in writing. From the start, it would also help to identify your risks and the actions you should take to mitigate the risks. Even if you are confident that plan A will work, keep plan B and C at the back of your mind.