cannot be expected to work together cooperatively. Just as you should be allowed to establish your own
final project deadline when an assignment is given to you, your team should be allowed to participate in
defining the time requirements for each phase.
5. Modify the schedule as needed. Listen to what your team tells you. If members responsibile for a
phase state that the deadline is unrealistic, seek solutions. Where necessary, modify your schedule
according to your team’s response.
6. Prepare the schedule. Construct the Gantt chart you will use to track the schedule. As the project
moves along, the actual should be entered on the chart. Keep up the monitoring and summary of the
project so that you will be able to take action if and when delays occur.
7. Distribute the schedule. Once you have finalized your schedule and made up the Gantt chart, send a
copy to each team member. As the project moves ahead, pass out revised and updated
copies—probably on a weekly basis. If you are reporting to an executive regarding the project, you can
use the Gantt chart as a useful visual summary for your report.
THE SCHEDULING SOLUTION
Even the most efficient, experienced, and capable project manager will eventually face a difficult schedule
delay. The delay itself is not a failure; that’s simply part of the team dynamic. The real test is in how well the
delay problem is solved when it occurs.
Sometimes you can spot a future problem and take action before a delay occurs.
Example: A team member advises you halfway through a project that departmental priorities will prevent her
from executing an upcoming phase according to schedule. At that point, you shift the assignment, complete it
in advance of the conflict dates, or simply accept the delay (which will affect the work of the rest of your
team). You also negotiate a compromise, either with the team member or with her supervisor.
Once a delay has occurred, take one of the following actions to correct the problem:
1. Execute phases concurrently when possible, even if your original plan called for consecutive
scheduling. Some phases must be organized and executed consecutively. A later phase cannot be
started until the results of the earlier phase are available. In these instances, delays are most
troublesome, since your team simply cannot proceed. However, in many other cases, you can begin a
subsequent phase even without completion of a prior one.
Example: You are managing a project that will result in automation of a processing department’s
routines. You run into a delay during an early phase. This phase was intended to define the number of
transactions processed during the average month (for the purpose of identifying needed computer file
space and input fields). The next phase is to begin writing the input and storage program itself. When
the delay occurs, you decide to proceed with the next phase on schedule. Even though the specifics of
the program are subject to change, you conclude that most of the program design work can proceed.
2. Double up your team’s effort to absorb the previous delay. A phase may be the responsibility of one
team member, but delays may make it impossible to complete it on schedule. In this instance, you
might be able to overcome the problem by assigning other team members to help.
Example: One member of your team is responsible for compiling historical information in order to
establish the cost of manual processing (and also to estimate savings that will be achieved with
automation). This information is essential to your report. However, due to a previous delay, you want to
complete this phase in less than the scheduled time. So you assign a second team member to help gather
and summarize historical information.
3. Begin preliminary steps on future phases to save time later. You may be frustrated because delays
are keeping most of your team idle. You cannot accelerate the phase underway, and you can’t begin the
next phase until this one is completed. However, you might be able to save time by completing coming
phases partially.
Example: Your project will end with a detailed report to management; however, you may not be able
to complete the report on time because of a two-day delay near the end of the project schedule (you
have allowed your team five working days to complete the report). But you may still be able to meet
the deadline by having your team prepare the graphs summarizing the historical information, which will
go into the report. These can be prepared now, even though the ongoing phase hasn’t been completed.
4. Seek methods to speed up later phases, without losing quality. Some late phases in a project may be
executed in a shorter time span than originally scheduled. This is the most likely way to make up delays