Category: Project Rescue

10 Ways to Save a Slipping Project

November 19, 2008 by Peter Stevens

If anyone is looking for proof that agile and waterfall are from different planets, you just need to check out this article by Tom Mochal at TechRepublic, 10 ways to get a slipping project back on track. Overtime was top of this list, even if the deadline is months away! My first reaction was to roll my eyes. But this raises the question, what do you do to save a slipping project, especially if you are trapped in a waterfall?

Start with Trust, Start with a Retrospective

July 23, 2008 by Peter Stevens

Taking over responsibility for a troubled project is always a delicate situation. Something was not working as it should. There is a group of people in place, who may or may not 1) be working as a team, 2) have the necessary skills and a positive attitude, or 3) be willing to accept change. So how do you, the new project manager, get the team back on track quickly?

We all have our stories about arrogant consultants and managers who a) don't know the business, b) reorganize everything regardless of the consequences, c) quickly move on or get promoted, and d) leave the team to clean up the mess. A certain skepticism is not only to be expected, it is healthy. So the top priority is to win the support and respect of the team. A close second is getting the team working on improving the situation.

Scrum teaches a wonderful tool: the Retrospective, which is normally performed at the end of each Sprint. At the start of a project rescue, I like to use a Retrospective to get to know the team, identify short term action items, earn the trust of the team, and plant the seeds for transitioning to Scrum (while focusing on what the project needs, not on methodology).

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