Project Phases - Despair

I've been writing about four phases of a project, roughly dividing a project into four equal parts based on time completed.  In this post I will talk about the issues with team productivity in the third phase - from 50% of the time committed to 75% of the time committed.  I've called this phase the "despair" phase.

If you agree with the premise that a graph of work completed against time completed looks more like an "S" curve than a line rising at a 45 degree angle, then we can agree that entering the third phase the project team is virtually guaranteed to be behind schedule.  If you planned for the slow start and sudden ramp up indicated by the "S" curve, you won't be panicking, but you may face some despair from the team.

At the midway point for the project in terms of time complete, they know the work that's left to do and the timeframes.  If the "S" curve holds, the team is just beginning to hit stride in terms of effectiveness and work efficiency.  They may not realize it, but they should be gaining ground and working more effectively every day.  However, the work remaining to complete before the end of the project may seem overwhelming.

It's at this point the team needs some encouragement.  A visit from the CEO or a senior individual to thank the team for its contributions so far, and to recognize the amount of work they've accomplished to date will be very helpful.  This meeting should also provide a reminder of why the project was started and how important the benefits expected from the project will be to the company. 

Also, the project manager and the project sponsor need to do everything in their power to remove distractions, roadblocks and other people or problems that may hinder the team from getting "in the zone".  The "S" curve bends upward sharply during this phase, and as a project manager you should be counting on a much more effective and efficient team, working more closely and more productively than ever before.  While they are in this zone, scope creep, feature changes, new requirements and other distractions will only serve to discourage the team and knock them off their game.  As the project manager or project sponsor, do everything in your power to reinforce the great work of the team and insulate the team from gossip, distractions and changes.

Next up - the finish line.