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Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

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Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#91

Post by ddebernardy »

There are hints in your question that you might be undergoing some major rewrite/refactoring across the board. If so, that has always failed insofar as I've experienced or seen experienced it.

FWIW a better approach would have been to break the entire thing down into smaller, more immediately achievable milestones. Ideally do so alongside enough exciting new stuff to keep your developers' morale high - be weary that some might already have low morale if they're noticing that the project they're working on is going nowhere.

At any rate, the time to bring up the problem is likely now. Have a candid discussion with your team. Explain what's going on; collect data points you might be less aware of and new ideas as you do. Sketch out a brief but equally candid status of your current situation (in writing) to let your manager and the product owner in the loop, along with an outline of next steps get things back on track.

Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#92

Post by nojvek »

chiefalchemist wrote: post #61
ljw1001 wrote: post #51

This is not going to be like the other advice you get, but I've managed many projects in different organizations and I think it is sound. First and foremost, don't sound any alarms. Many organizations have common characteristics in this regard. First, they don't expect you to be on time. Sales may think you're going to launch on time, but it's in their financial interest to think so. The rest of the org probably made…

> "Third, people do shoot the bearer of bad news." True. But under such circumstances chances are pretty good someone(s) is going to be shot anyway. I think the answer is solid. But if going this route I would update my resume and reach out to my network. If this ends badly you want to be prepared.

Always be prepared. At the end of the day you are just a resource to a company. Someone who implements some spec for a bit of dough.

Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#93

Post by ljw1001 »

nojvek wrote: post #88
ljw1001 wrote: post #51

This is not going to be like the other advice you get, but I've managed many projects in different organizations and I think it is sound. First and foremost, don't sound any alarms. Many organizations have common characteristics in this regard. First, they don't expect you to be on time. Sales may think you're going to launch on time, but it's in their financial interest to think so. The rest of the org probably made…

I don’t understand why he/she needs to sugercoat things so much and do things over lunch, drinks/beer? Imagine this is a female lead asking her male boss out for drinks so she can be the casual bearer of bad news? That’s just bull. If your organization isn’t willing to get real and is blaming people instead of processes, it’s the wrong org to be. Just say things as they are. I’d just raise this in my 1:1 with boss an…

Either you're working in an unusually healthy environment, or you haven't done this often enough to see it backfire. If it's the first. You're very fortunate.

Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#94

Post by ransom1538 »

For next week, get a list of things you can work on. Spend 30 minutes with the team monday morning deciding what is the most important to work on. Agree with the team these items will be done by Monday (if something can’t be done in a week break it down.) Execute.

Things cannot be* late. You are only on a week timeline. There is no other timeline. Forecasts outside the week are unpredictable and should be ignored.

This will give you a velocity (items done per week) and start quickly building team confidence. Things get done.

Don’t let anyone change or modify the week goals. If some one wants something they pitch for it Monday.

Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#95

Post by sailfast »

ljw1001 wrote: post #51

This is not going to be like the other advice you get, but I've managed many projects in different organizations and I think it is sound. First and foremost, don't sound any alarms. Many organizations have common characteristics in this regard. First, they don't expect you to be on time. Sales may think you're going to launch on time, but it's in their financial interest to think so. The rest of the org probably made…

This advice is a good first read on the political elements before you make a real move, but it’s not a plan, and it sounds like a recipe for mediocrity. (Not that there is anything wrong with that)

If you actually want to have some integrity when you talk about deadlines before it eats up your insides and you lose sleep you will need to have these beer / lunch conversations to gauge the level of appetite for change and then start talking about how to get something shipped on time as well as the consequences for not shipping on time.

Sounds like you already have this dialog with your manager. Keep talking about how best to manage expectations up the chain.

You’ll want to get buy-in to reduce scope or make whatever other changes you need, otherwise you’ll have to lie to keep up the facade that things will ship on time. It will burn you out.

If the read in the parent comment is bad for your org and it’s NOT normal to BS deadlines and ship late then no paper trail or written warnings, risks, and issues brings with it some badness as well - judge for your organization. I’m guessing you may already know the answer.

This is probably not the best career ladder advice at some firms, but at all costs make sure you never lie for anybody. Keep your integrity. Be honest. Sleep at night.

Of course sometimes “honest” is an excuse to be pessimistic. Look hard to make sure your dire warnings are not “chicken little” pessimism, then talk it out with your management, but don’t lie for them and be honest about your engineering and your team.

Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#97

Post by arethuza »

OliverJones wrote: post #84
d--b wrote: post #26

A company is a company, your manager is in your team, the product owner is in your team, the salesman is in your team, the CEO is in your team. Talk to your manager, and your manager will talk to the stake holders to see what to do about it. Delays happen all the time. No biggie. Just try and understand what went wrong (to make sure the next one doesn't suffer the same) and how much time it will be costing. They'll b…

Exactly. Managers manage many things, including expectations. Make sure your manager and you are on the same page about schedules. Then let her do her job while you do yours. If your manager decides to blame you, rather than defend you and your team, it's resume time.

Managing up is the most important thing a project manager can do ("shit umbrella vs shit funnel") - if they haven't been communicating the actual status of the project then they haven't been doing their job.

If they don't know the actual status of the project then they haven't been doing their job either.

Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#99

Post by EnderMB »

arethuza wrote: post #74
crispyambulance wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well put. Deadlines often slip. It happens ALL THE TIME, regardless of elaborate and sophisticated project management techniques and skilled contributors. Deadline slippage is also RARELY FATAL, but yeah, leads/PM's can absolutely get themselves metaphorically shot by bearing bad news to the wrong people at the wrong time. Some orgs hire a ridiculous number of PMP's who pretend like they're making a difference but ar…

I've been in organizations where people know projects slip and are mature about it but I've also been in places where projects absolutely do not miss their go-live dates without a major impact for the relevant managers and teams. Always wise to know what the corporate culture is around these kinds of things.

Agreed, especially when you're dealing with external clients. I've been in situations where internally we've been fine with a slipped go-live date, only for a CEO at a client to send an email at 4:50pm putting everyone on blast and demanding that all developers stay at the office until it is live, or else (no lie, literally had that email, quote for quote, in my inbox less than a year ago).

Corporate culture includes everyone involved in a project. You can't be calm if you have someone outside of your office going mental over something being a day or a week late.

Re: Ask HN: As a team lead how to handle project going off the rails?

#100

Post by kodablah »

I am no lead, and never will be with my attitude towards these things. But sound the alarm immediately, realize that the business doesn't care because they have deadlines, watch it burn, then leave such a toxic environment. The order of the last two steps is interchangeable.

Sadly, everyone thinks removing yourself from bad environments, especially as a lead, is selfish as though the company isn't. Also, many assume leaving is impossible/difficult, but in our industry at this time, that's rarely true.

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