What we need is a good ole’ knock down debate

As one of our clients was lamenting recently, a statement he made struck me. He said ”the launch of this project was proceeding so well, and then this debate suddenly surfaced!”

When I heard this, I was actually relieved. One of the more significant issues with projects is that people think they will be easier than they actually will be. Many people don’t understand that a significant change will occur as a result of the project, particularly when it is early in the project lifecycle. As the project moves forward, often the protests and angst surface later when you are on an agreed schedule, have contractors punching time against your project budget, and can’t easily afford delays.

So, I was indeed relieved to hear the debates had started early. Project launch is the perfect time to surface and address the stressors that project change brings to an organization.

Here are a few tips to trigger early, productive debates around your projects:

• Layout the “final result.” Statements that can be helpful are “so when we are done with the project your department will do x, y and z differently. How do you intend on transitioning Carla, Sal and Paul from their current roles to new ones?” These questions can help you show the substance of the change sooner versus later.
• Find potentially conflicting stakeholder objectives and propose specific targets against those objectives. If your stakeholder in marketing wants to spend 20% more with a target of increasing their customer base by 40%, that may sound like a good deal. However, if your comptroller has an objective to cut any increases in spending across the board, the 20% increase from marketing won’t sit well. These situations need to be tabled early; and the debate fully conducted!
• Take the end customers view. Ask, “will these changes be transparent, or what needs to be done to ensure they are transparent to your customers?” If the changes AREN’T intended to be transparent, ask “how are you going to educate and transition your customers to the new processes and approaches?”
• Where is the budget coming from, is it funded, and when is it available? One of the best ways to have a sponsor or stakeholder say “no” – versus you having to veto something – is to ask about the available funding. Nothing is totally free, so budget impacts need to be understood and discussed earlier versus later.

Seeking conflict as a means of resolving potential disagreements before they become bigger project issues is a great way to ensure your stakeholders understand the road ahead of them. It can also reduce your overall project risk, and keep you from being in the middle of a management battle over what YOU are doing.

Intelligent Disobedience Leadership provides workshops, coaching and consulting with a focus on courageous leadership and deploying intelligent disobedience constructively.  We can help you and your teams achieve better outcomes. For further information, email us at info@intelligentdisobedience.com