Compass

Coping with potential excuses

As a project manager, you have to be prepared for situations, when others are going to try to fight your proactive approach.

You should be prepared for all sorts of excuses and not the most logical reasoning. The examples below will give you tips on how to handle these situations. This will ensure that your project stays on the right path. To help yourself managing all the tasks and time lines of the project, using web project management proves to be especially effective.

Excuse: All our projects are endangered. We don't have time for planning now.

Response: This argumentation has no logic. When in a crisis, the only way to go is to plan. The reason is you have a critical issue to address with scarce time and resources. You aren't allowed to make any more mistakes. Performing under pressure and rush is a guarantee you will make even more mistakes. Even during a crisis, you can use your web project management software to help design backup plans and activities that will help you cope with problems as fast and efficient as possible.

Excuse: Hierarchical structure of project is only for big enterprises.

Response: The size of the project doesn't matter.
What really matters is the fact that the principles stay the same. You have to analyze what has to be done, who is going to do it, when will it end, and did you meet expectations. Larger projects may need more time before delivering answers to these questions. Small projects may take a quarter of an hour. Anyhow, the questions are to be answered.

Excuse: The projects we are to perform need research and creativity. We can't predict them with certainty.

Response: There are projects more predictable than others. However, people requesting them will have certain expectations and for timing and effects of the projects. Thus, working on a project with many unknowns requires a project manager who is going to estimate the risk with the use of web project management software, develop a plan and address any unexpected situations as they unravel.

No matter if you deal with these excuses on a daily basis, or never heard them in this form, model your responses according to the situation at hand.