Reply to: Don't Laugh - "Too much work" problem.

[oilyrag]

Simples.

OK you've been logging this in the risk log.

Your next step is to present an Exception Report at the steering comitee and call a meeting with Project Exec, Dir A and Dir B in the same room preferably but VC etc is OK.

In this meeting review the Exception Report and present the Exception Plan for the next project stage, this will include your recomendation for extra staff.

If they do not approve your Exception Plan inform them you will wind the project down and produce the End Project Report then backout like a real professional with all bases covered and dignity intact.

I've had same situation countless times and they always to for the Exception Plan. Make one of the recommendations that YourCo can provide required resource.

Simples.

[TheVoice]

A further email would probably be a good idea, fire it to PMO Directors A & B, plus the MD \ Chief Exec & major stakeholders in the project.

Outline the problem again (for MD etc) & state (as you already have) that it is unprofessional of you to take on workload you cannot resource & that, unless your resourcing demands are addressed the project(s) will run into problems.

It is then worth going on to state (if you haven't already) that, as an external service provider whose contract is to deliver service "x", for <named> project(s), you are now informing them that they, as the client, are responsible for delivering you with the extra resources you require to manage the project(s) successfully & ensure they are completed to date, in budget & to standard. Failure by the client to provide the resources required & demanded (repeatedly!!) will mean project failure (go into detail just what that failure will be!) which you will no longer be held responsible for. Highlight all the times you have mentioned it in meetings, emails sent & include a copy of the demand for additional resources & make it clear that director A told you he is aware but just carry on regardless, so therefore all responsiblity for failure now lies with him.

I know it sounds like a "buck pass" but it truly isn't, director A is clearly a total tosspot!

It sounds to me like a typical permie manager type of "ostrich" attitude, expecting someone else to pick up the pieces & you can't allow it to go on, as you have quite rightly identified. The above email will ultimately highlight where the problems (in terms of management) are & you can assure yourself that once it reaches the MD \ CEO & the major stakeholders start jumping up & down (give it a couple of hours...!), it WILL be sorted!

I have had to use this technique many times on client sites - I get very "narked" when someone pays for my advice & thinks they know better...if that is the case, why aren't they doing it themself?! As has already been said, better to be seen as awkward than some wishy washy permie type who cant stand a corner.

Go for it & keep us posted.

[original PM]

Bit harsh to say the OP is out of his/her depth.

But the problem faced is a common one I fear.

Both directors have committed to delivering projects without really having any idea of time and resources required.

They cannot (or will not) ask for mo money as this would make them look 'bad' and will probably affect their bonus.

So they simple keep making the same ridiculous demands without any idea of how to achieve it - obviously their ass is covered as they will blame you.

As others have said - flag the risk highlight the requirements to remove the risks and push on.

Oh and expect to be on the wrong end of a whole heap of rubbish in a few months when the spineless feckers try to teflon the stuff on you.


But good luck

[DodgyAgent]

Blimey - It sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place here. Are there other PM's in the business that you could "borrow" on say a 2 days a week basis to ease the load?

What about using a lower level contractor? .

No shortage of those on here

[The Agents View]

Yes, each saw the other's response. I have issued the "sorry, it would be unprofessional for me to agree to take on work I do not have the capacity to deliver successfully" statement and they are arguing about whose projects are more important, instead of concentrating on getting another resource.

I can still see the "we haven't got anyone else, you;ll just have to crack on" reverb from Director A coming, I will just have to stand firm.

Blimey - It sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place here. Are there other PM's in the business that you could "borrow" on say a 2 days a week basis to ease the load?

What about using a lower level contractor? (a half decent, but not overly experienced PM can be had for about £320 these days - including agency fees).
They might just be able to take the majority of the donkey work away from you, leaving you to orchestrate and lead from the front?

Finally, there are enough desperate people out there, that people will snap your arm off for a 2-3 day per week support role, and you could almost label them as a "temp".

This is common stuff at the moment - I was talking to a friend of mine who works for one of the big construction consultancies on Tuesday - they made massive redundancies about 8 months ago, and project levels stayed the same - just run with less people. Now things are picking up, and they have more projects than they can possibly handle effectively - ultimately the balance is between losing money, face, and opportunity through failing to deliver, and paying a little bit more, for something that has a chance of being delivered successfully.

[TFour]

Yes, each saw the other's response. I have issued the "sorry, it would be unprofessional for me to agree to take on work I do not have the capacity to deliver successfully" statement and they are arguing about whose projects are more important, instead of concentrating on getting another resource.

I can still see the "we haven't got anyone else, you;ll just have to crack on" reverb from Director A coming, I will just have to stand firm.

[d000hg]

Cojak, the email is exactly what I did..result the non-committal "I'm aware of the problem but keep going" email from Director A, and the "You are my service provider, it's director A's problem" from Director B.

Did you make sure each saw the other's response?

[ChalkandCheese]

Ok well sounds like you have it in hand then. What I did next on my programme of work was priortise the portfolio based on the information I had and told them what was going to get due attention first and what was not. Since in my circumstances they effectively had asked me to take on 12 additional projects, most of the new ones went into the "not going to happen now" pile. I also managed to get some support from the end users for delaying some of these.

The above did work over a period of weeks for me, it may/may not work for you - a lot depends on how the politics works there.

[TFour]

Thanks Chalkandcheese, I know in my mind this is the right thing to do, I am just trying to work out the most professional way to go about it.

I have reported on this resourcing issue at every fortnightly Steering Board for two months - it is not new to the directorate.

[ChalkandCheese]

At the beginning of this year clientco asked me (as Programme and Project Manager) to take on portfolio A and portfolio B, with the proviso that workload at the projects ramped up would be monitored and additional resource would be brought in to satisfy additional load. My contract is "aligned" to portfolio B so if push came to shove, portfolio A would have the job of finding more resource as I would be fully focussed on porfolio B.

In Mid-March I produced a PM resource demand forecast which demonstrated 1 full time PM was required for both portfolios. Six weeks later nothing has demonstrably happened, and clientco are about to award a (three figure) contract for an external vendor to come into the company for six weeks to complete a due diligence phase on a project in portfolio A. This increases the load drastically on Portfolio A to the extent that it would be futile to even contemplate embarking on the exercise with anything other than a dedicated PM.

I have recommended to the client that they do not start this due diligence until a full-time PM is in place, as it is critical to the development of a global communication platform. I have also asked clientco to tell me which portfolio they would like me to prioritise my services on.

I got a wishy-washy reply from Director-portfolio A (who incidentally I would trust only to stab me in the back without a second thought), saying continue to prioritise my limited resources in a professional manner (and unofficially he has admitted that he knows it will fail but it will prove a point). The PMO director has said nothing. Director-portfolio B says "you are my service provider, you must deliver my projects, the resourcing is director-portfolio-A's problem". No-one will make a decision because no-one wants to be the one that "delays" the (board-level-visible) communication-platform project, so I am stuck in the middle of organisational politics with two portfolios proceeding towards failure.

I am extremely uncomfortable in proceeding "by default" with work I know will fail because it is not resourced effectively to deliver, regardless of the revenue it guarantees for a few weeks at least. I am (for convoluted supply chain reasons) unable to take on additional resource myself to address the issue.

Options:

1) Proceed by default, accept it will fail and all projects will suffer (result - reputational damage, I may escape without contract termination if I am lucky).
2) Politely refuse to take on the additional load in Portfolio. (result - I am seen as an "awkward" contractor when it comes to contract renewal/negotiation).
3)......I kind of run out there....

Advice please?

Been in similar positions before and from my experience you have to go with option 2. As with most of these things make sure you back yourself up with the appropriate risks being logged and back it up with finacial loss - get something in an e-mail (someone/something is going to get neglected if you are overloaded).

Remember as project manager it is your responsibility to report on all issues, this is clearly one of them. You can't be the yes man in these circumstances, you are going to get your arse kicked if you play that game.

Once you raise the issue to the PMO Director he is technically responsible to initiate a problem resolution as well - an option 3 might be to gently remind him that he needs to help resolve this issue or he will be jointly responsible.

Whatever you do, don't sit there and take option one. It will go wrong and the duck sitting idly on the calm pond will be you.

[TFour]

Are you implying that getting a reputation for being an awkward contractor (aka having a backbone) is somehow a bad thing? I'd much rather go into a negotion with a reputation for awkwardness than a reputation for rolling over.

No but I would say that clientco's culture doesn't comprehend being directly challenged or refused.

[TFour]

Cojak, the email is exactly what I did..result the non-committal "I'm aware of the problem but keep going" email from Director A, and the "You are my service provider, it's director A's problem" from Director B.

Reviewing it is exactly what I'm trying to do, hence the request for advice.

[cojak]

Lay out what you've said in an email.

1. What the situation is.
2. What the consequences are should the situation stay as it is.
3. Alternative solutions to improve the situation.
4. How do they want to proceed?

Send to Directors A & B and your boss and let them fight it out between themselves.

I'm afraid you're on a hiding to nothing if you think that you only have option 1 and are worried that option 2 will make you appear an awkward contractor. This is where experienced Programme Managers negotiate with and influence Senior Management sponsors. I have to admit, I think you might be out of your depth in this role. Are you a Project Manager and is this your first Programme Manager's role?

Speak to other Programme Managers within your organisation or go onto LinkedIn for PM groups for advice.

You need to review how you are going to deal with this situation because you'll end up looking weak and incompetent if you let it drift.

[northernladuk]

Am not a PM so don't know what your contract is like but should that and/or the job description say exactly what you should be doing? If it does and you are doing this at the clients request you are going to be under their direction which isn't good for IR35... but thats not quite the issue. What does your contract say. You could use this to back up your claim and be your backbone for you. You can't seem to be awkward when you are just doing what your contract says surely?

[thunderlizard]

Are you implying that getting a reputation for being an awkward contractor (aka having a backbone) is somehow a bad thing? I'd much rather go into a negotion with a reputation for awkwardness than a reputation for rolling over.