Dealing with difficult sponsors
Many project managers lack the proper technique to handle a project approval presentation with an executive who demands an earlier completion date than the the PM presents. The PMs whine, whimper and moan but still walk out of the meeting with a project they know is doomed to failure with an impossible due date.
The best way to handle these demands is with tradeoffs between scope, cost, duration and budget. That data gives a PM a chance.
Listen to this month's podcast to hear how to do it
posted by Dick Billows, PMP, GCA @ 2:49 PM
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I wish it were that easy! I work in an organization where schedules are tight and resources are even tighter. What if you can't find the resources internally and can't get funding for bringing in more people?
Reduce the quality? Reduce the scope/expectations?
I agree with John. I can't move in any direction of the Iron Triangle. Less quality or features are never accepted; and our staffing situation is ludicrous with the degree of complexity of the tasks being such I can't even throw temp contractors into the mix to meet tight deadlines. I feel demoralized in continuing to struggle in a perilously resource-contrained environment and demanding clients whose business we take on with unrealistic expectations via the sales channel - and then it's dumped on me as the project manager.
I feel a bit like this is textbook advice that might not always work in the real world of today's understaffed, too-fast paced corporate environment. I certainly do not have those options of negotiating the Iron Triangle. My question as a PM operating under this type of unreasonable goals, is how to keep project staff motivated when they are continuously thrust into this type of mode. The spark is gone after being pressed into a continuous modus-operandi of "everything" being critical.
I am looking for advice on dealing with difficult vendors....I am in the process of finalizing a machinery installation vendor who is showing signs of "extreme" extra management and they know that we are heavily time constrained. Any thoughts?
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