If you manage projects long enough, at some point, you’re going to run into a crisis. I’ve had them, and they often come out of nowhere (those unknown unknowns). They can happen at any stage of a project or program, and become more impactful the further along you progress. Unfortunately, they’re a reality most of us face.
Let’s first define what a crisis is. These are high-impact events that pose an immediate threat to the project’s viability, and in some cases, the organization itself (as you’ll read in #7 below). Traditional project management tools and processes may not suffice to control the project’s trajectory. Whereas an issue may cause timeline or budget overruns, these non-linear events have cascading effects that demand an immediate and strategic response. They also feel different. You will notice the stress and panic in people’s voices and actions.
When a crisis does occur, your team and stakeholders will look to you to bring it from chaos, to clarity, to resolution. Here are eight recommendations that will help get you there.
1. Validate the Initial Information is Correct – “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!” I’m sure Chicken Little’s words have rang in your ears when some people have come yelling that there’s a crisis that must be solved. Recently, a project manager called and said we were in deep trouble because IT Security wouldn’t let us go live due to findings requiring remediation. Upon asking a few questions and reading emailed feedback, the findings were suggestions, and yes, we can go live. Not a crisis!
When a potential crisis arises, some people may become panicked and stressed, leading to incomplete conclusions and incorrect information. Scrutinize and ask questions without immediately jumping to conclusions. You can avoid major escalations by remaining calm.
2. Gather Your Trusted Advisors – Well, I guess we do have a crisis on our hands. Bummer. You cannot handle it on your own! Lead the effort to assemble our team’s experts so you can analyze, determine impact, and define an initial path forward. Going back to the first point, you may determine this is not a huge problem. If it is truly a crisis, determine the root cause, the next couple of steps to be taken, by whom, and by when.
In another recent example, a nonprofit I’m on the board of has a web-based ERP system that was hacked. I stepped in to help lead through the crisis. I first gathered the vendors involved and the IT staff of the nonprofit (which is one person, thus a dependency on vendors). We first determined the root cause (vulnerability) and resolved it. Then, we did an impact assessment. Thankfully, the hackers did not get personal or corporate data. This short but terrifying crisis required smart people to get together and figure things out. The same will go for your projects.
3. Bad News Doesn’t Get Better With Age – The worst thing that can happen is your sponsor or senior leaders hear there’s an issue through the grapevine. I made that mistake early on in my career, where I thought we could handle it and no one would be the wiser. People talk. It WILL get to your sponsor, senior stakeholders, and your boss.
Since that time, when a crisis occurs and we know it is in fact has a big impact, I’ll let the right people know. I’ll stress we may not have the root cause and next steps figured out yet, but the team is working on it. When I do know the root cause, I’ll let them know ASAP. Bless most people’s hearts that they’ll want to help right away. Maybe you can use it, but more than likely not until you have the next steps determined. And always, always keep them informed of progress.
4. Keep Your Options Open – As you and your team navigate the crisis, you’ll learn more. Ask for options from your team. Sometimes you’ll be constrained by a lack of information, so having viable options ready will help speed its resolution.
Our team once had a crisis with a biotech project. This was an R&D project that had huge monetary upsides. When the crisis was uncovered, our lead scientist came up with the root cause and next steps. And, to her credit, she asked her staff to come up with options in the event the next steps didn’t work out as planned. We came up with lots of options that thankfully, we didn’t need to use.
5. Remember Newton’s First Law – An object in motion will stay in motion with the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. The same is true for a crisis; it will continue until you take action to change its trajectory. Make difficult decisions early, as the crisis will get more complex over time. Remember, time is your enemy. Don’t assume you have time to uncover a “perfect” solution.
I heard of a program in a different area of the company that had to deal with an infrastructure crisis. It was huge. All the assumptions made at the start of the program were wrong, so all the development needed adjustment. The program manager said, “Let’s just hold off doing anything about the infrastructure problem right now.” Guess what? As the development continued, the problem only compounded. When a crisis emerges, get after it.
6. Move Quickly, but Not Recklessly – I’ve seen this and experienced it in my career. In our rush to resolve the crisis, we skimp on planning and preparation, which leads to a flawed result because we didn’t have the required resources and responsibilities lined up. Move quickly, but don’t be reckless.
Here’s what I did. When installing a new software application into a manufacturing company’s process, the application was giving wrong data and not feeding downstream systems correctly. The lead developer started the sentence with “I think…”, to which I said just do it! No root cause analysis. No looking at options. Just GO! It made the problem worse. At that point, we took a step back, made some decisions, and fixed the problem. Lesson learned!
7. You Can, and Should, Micromanage – This is a lesson I learned managing my first construction project that failed final inspection, and we had a hard deadline only two days away! I talked to the team, especially the construction manager, who said, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.” Awesome, until he didn’t tell us what he was doing, who was needed to him, the impacts on decisions, next steps, and owners. The stakeholders were asking me for updates, which I didn’t have. Finally, I told the construction manager we needed to get very tactical. Thankfully, we opened the doors on time, but it was stressful!
Micromanage the details and the people accountable for completing them. It can be uncomfortable to micromanage when it’s a four-letter eleven-letter word, but necessary in a crisis. Ensure you know the details and stick close to them. This will help in your update communications and when stakeholders ask for info.
8. Don’t Forget to do a Pulse Check on the Team – When you’re in crisis mode, the focus is on tasks and results. Sometimes we forget to check on our team. How’s morale? Are you turning up confidently for them? Are you keeping your emotions in check and showing up consistently? Spend time with your team and keep them motivated during this turbulent time.
Projects can be stressful. This should be something you’re always doing. But when a crisis arises, take additional pulse checks to make sure the team isn’t burning out. Do what you can to help them out.
We do what we can to avoid crises on our projects, but they happen. I’m hoping these eight recommendations will help you.
Bridge the Gap Consulting, LLC 
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