Letting a project fail

[MarillionFan]

What would you do if you worked at a client that kept making the wrong priorization calls on projects, that had bitten off more work than it could handle and in the delivery of that work kept prototyping new products to bring in more work but without actually putting resource on the existing work.

Having been managing projects that were ahead of schedule, all of my resource has been pulled. Now all of my projects are behind and at risk. The projects that resource were pulled on are now at risk and one has failed.

Again today I have come in to find that halfway though the day that resource was pulled off, hence not finishing what they were working on and now stopping me from progressing. I'm now fiddling as the fires start and the next phase is now missed.

The client is not project planning or resource planning anything. They are constantly caught off guard when someone goes sick or on holiday.

I've gone through all the usual processes. Provided a resource plan, pointed out the risks, CYA'd, escalated to the director in charge(he's part of the problem).
Having spent a number of years running the show, this contract is at the bottom of the heap, nice to see it from a different perspective.

Should I care because when the tulip hits the fan I'll still be here?

[shaunbhoy]

Should I care because when the tulip hits the fan I'll still be here?

The questions you need to ask yourself are................will you still be able to invoice?

Are there any other contracts you will be able to jump ship to?

Everything else is irrelevant.

HTH

[oracleslave]

When you highlighted all of these problems did you think of bringing your quite obviously unique talent, experience, insight and brilliance to bear to offer solutions to the myriad of issues?

[Moose423956]

What would you do if you worked at a client that kept making the wrong priorization calls on projects, that had bitten off more work than it could handle and in the delivery of that work kept prototyping new products to bring in more work but without actually putting resource on the existing work.

Having been managing projects that were ahead of schedule, all of my resource has been pulled. Now all of my projects are behind and at risk. The projects that resource were pulled on are now at risk and one has failed.

Again today I have come in to find that halfway though the day that resource was pulled off, hence not finishing what they were working on and now stopping me from progressing. I'm now fiddling as the fires start and the next phase is now missed.

The client is not project planning or resource planning anything. They are constantly caught off guard when someone goes sick or on holiday.

I've gone through all the usual processes. Provided a resource plan, pointed out the risks, CYA'd, escalated to the director in charge(he's part of the problem).
Having spent a number of years running the show, this contract is at the bottom of the heap, nice to see it from a different perspective.

Should I care because when the tulip hits the fan I'll still be here?

Reminds me of something Rodney Marsh said. When he was playing for England, Alf Ramsey went up to him and told him he would pull him off at half time. Rod Marsh said "That's great, at Man City we only get an orange".

[BlasterBates]

This company looks like it's in serious trouble. If it's a small company it' s in danger of going bankrupt. I remember doing a course in accountancy many years ago, one phrase sticks in my mind. "More companies go bankrupt through overtrading than any other reason".

Looks a typical case, too many projects inadequately financed, all doomed. I've seen this happen too first hand. Lots of unfinishable projects and then one after the other the client loses patience and cans them. The trouble is probably if they focused on one or two projects they'd probably go bankrupt anway. T

Nothing you can do, just pull your weight as you can, and make sure you invoice on a weekly basis.

[MarillionFan]

When you highlighted all of these problems did you think of bringing your quite obviously unique talent, experience, insight and brilliance to bear to offer solutions to the myriad of issues?

Of course. The lack or project planning and resource planning is the major issue.

I've been providing project & resource plans for everything I'm working on. Hence everything has been ahead of schedule. It's the other projects I don't have visibility on. I've even offered to do the resource planning for them.

It's a young team, first time managers and they're making the fatal mistake of fire fighting. It's just now their decisions have set fire to my part of Dorset coast!

[eek]

Ever wanted to own a software company? They are over trading, over ambitious and not focussing on the REAL issues. As such I would give them 6 months max.

[kaiser78]

Of course. The lack or project planning and resource planning is the major issue.

I've been providing project & resource plans for everything I'm working on. Hence everything has been ahead of schedule. It's the other projects I don't have visibility on. I've even offered to do the resource planning for them.

It's a young team, first time managers and they're making the fatal mistake of fire fighting. It's just now their decisions have set fire to my part of Dorset coast!

All you can do is highlight the issues and the impacts on your projects - ultimately it is for the senior stakeholders to make the priority calls and as a PM you can only do so much in terms of shaping this. I share your pain as well at the moment...

[Troll]

You just need to use your dorsal anterior cingulate cortex

[suityou01]

The hard part I find is letting it fail without getting frustrated. You need to put enough distance between you and the project so you don't go mad about the utter incompetence, and not so much that you can be accused of being aloof.

A fine balance.