Pushing back – A Vital Activity

You can’t always count on key stakeholders to make decisions that are in the project’s best interest. In some cases, those decisions are appropriate, keeping the big picture of the overall business in mind. When that isn’t the case, the project manager must push back to overturn a sub-optimal decision. It’s never comfortable, but there are many good reasons for doing so beyond delivering against project expectations. Here are just a few…

• The pain of failing to address a sub-optimal decision is like ignoring a significant project risk. Addressing the scrutiny that can surface downstream from a lack of pushing back is difficult. You will likely face questions like “Why didn’t you know?” “If you knew, why didn’t you say something?” Not taking action when a sub-optimal decision is passed to you is a circumstance you “can’t undo.” Your reputation can be permanently tarnished. Regrets come from actions you don’t take, not those you engage in with positive intent. Don’t give yourself regrets.
• The impact usually gets worse as time passes. While there are risks with pushing back, the consequences of pushing back immediately are likely less severe, and you probably have more control of the outcome. You don’t have to overturn the sub-optimal decision to improve the project situation. Surfacing concerns proactively allows you to mitigate the impacts of a business decision. It can also paint your project management approach as one that optimizes project outcomes within the big picture of maximizing the health of the overall business.
• The decision might have been made with inadequate information. I’ve had several instances where I pushed back on a decision, and others in the organization thanked me for speaking up. Management decisions are often made with incomplete information, and the information that can complete the picture frequently resides with the project manager. Speak up and share the information – key stakeholders need you to do so, and it’s a mandatory element of good leadership.

Pushing back builds trust. When team members see a project manager pushing back – taking a personal risk for the sake of the project – it builds trust. Team members see firsthand that someone will stand up to support their efforts to produce the best outcome. Failing to do so can tarnish your reputation and serve as a demotivator for team members to produce their best work.