“Telling your boss bad news and surviving Presented to San Dimas Chapter SCQAA-IE March 13, 2008

–Philip E. Quigley, CFPIM, PMP –Senior Portfolio Manager, CSC Presented by

What this workshop is It’s a workshop It’s a little lecture-then you do case studies You will present your ideas on what to do There are no perfect or correct solutions

Bad news Telling the boss good news is fun and rewarding Telling your boss bad news can be “Career Limiting” Unfortunately “bad” things happen on projects and must be dealt with

Telling your boss bad news takes special skills to survive A lot depends on your boss, your relationship and the organization You have to have a plan You have to have a network of relationships

Telling your boss bad news takes special skills to survive-your boss You need to assess your boss –How does he/she take bad news? –What is their relationship with their bosses, executive management? –How does executive management take bad news?

Telling your boss bad news takes special skills to survive-your organization You need to assess your organization –How does it take bad news? –Are messengers of bad news shot? –Are mistakes accepted as part of the business or as a criminal offense deserving the career death sentence?

Assignment #1 Each person in your group assess their organization in their acceptance of bad news, mistakes and failures –Share that within your group –Prepare a summary and present to class

Case Study #1 Major IT project-putting in SAP You are running behind in collecting and approving requirements Users aren’t attending the meetings What do you do?

Case Study #1-Cont’d You report to steering committee-VP of Finance, Marketing, Engineering and Production CFO is the executive sponsor Users who aren’t attending the meeting are the finance people CFO is known as a “screamer”

Case Study #1 Continued Steering committee meeting is scheduled for this week CEO has decided to attend-wants to know what is going on What are you going to recommend? What are you going to do?

Case Study #1-Instructions Each table is a study group Have 15 minutes –What are you going to say in the meeting? Analysis of situation Recommendations –How do you handle CEO and CFO? –What allies do you need to have? –What prep work, people to see and talk to, do you do before the meeting? –Pick someone from the group to present

Case Study # 2 New product has been launched with aggressive schedule and demanding sales plan Aggressive cost cutting moves-especially with suppliers- were demanded by CEO, CFO Problems are now being encountered One supplier, chosen for cost, can’t produce Quality issues are being encountered from another supplier Design was “thrifted” to reduce cost

Case Study # 2-continued You are the Project manager- report to VP of Manufacturing Your VP of Manufacturing has scheduled a meeting with CEO, CFO and other executives Wants an explanation of what is going wrong-there is “Concern” at the executive level Your VP has a strained relation with the CEO, CFO

Case Study #2-Continued Each table is a study group Come up with a plan for the meeting –What are you going to say? –How are you going to say it? –What allies can you get? –You have 15 minutes –Pick one person to speak for your table

Some thoughts, ideas-may work-may not work Understand what has and is happening –The facts only, but dig Get options to correct things –Get at least two –Be prepared to recommend one –No finger pointing-just the facts Get allies –Where ever possible get finance to work with you

Some thoughts, ideas Do prep work –Meet with different people before any meetings –Brief them, get their support on analysis and actions to be taken –Don’t go into an executive meeting with key people being “cold” on what is going on Never surprise executives with bad news in a meeting

Case Study #3- You are PM of a large, 100 plus team You are implementing new CRM package for a major auto company This system has been touted by CEO and board as the solution to sagging US sales-will let the company re-connect with customers You have been brought in because project is behind schedule, over budget and users are mad because they don’t like the system and believe it won’t work

Case Study #3- Cont’d Previous PM was fired CEO wants a steering committee meeting and he wants to know what you are going to do-you have had a week By the way- –Consensus from team is that this package isn’t very good –But system was bought by the CFO because he came from the consulting company that recommended it CFO is considered “fair hair boy” by CEO and Wall Street

Case Study #3-Continued Each table is a study group Come up with a plan for the meeting –What are you going to say? –How are you going to say it? –What allies can you get? –You have 15 minutes –Pick one person to speak for your table

Final Thoughts All Projects will have problems Schedule starts going wrong the first day, first task Difference between “successful” projects and “failed” projects is that problems are identified early and resolved before they have impact The difference is the PM and the environment they establish

Final Thoughts-cont’d As the PM your must tell, show and lead the team in how it deals with problems –Look for them, be proactive –Identify them –Communicate the problem –Identify alternative solutions, pick one and move on it –No shooting the messenger –It’s OK to have a problem-issue is to deal with them

Final Thoughts-cont’d The team must know that mistakes are accepted and are to be learned from. But there are rules to mistakes –Admit them –Clean up the mess –Learn from them –Keep moving-only people who don’t make mistakes are people doing nothing Can’t have a project team not doing things because they are scared of making a mistake –Big issue is scared to make a decision-will ruin a project team

Final Thoughts-cont’d Must manage “expectations” of your bosses Tell them things will go wrong-that is the nature of projects Your approach is to quickly identify them and resolve them You will tell them the good and the bad every week You will do it in writing

Final Thoughts-cont’d The approach is professional Understand you will run into the “politicians”, people with agenda’s, the power players They will use any mistake, problem, bad news to advance themselves Only defense –Know who they are –Build alliances to minimize their impact –This is another seminar.

Final Thoughts-cont’d Hope this helps Remember you will have to give bad news Plan for it Be prepared to take a beating Good luck

Final Thoughts-cont’d You need to monitor your organization on a weekly basis –Who has power? Gained some-lost some? –What is your relationship with them? Good? Bad? –What is your boss or bosses in the power game Winner or loser? –Must constantly monitor-things can change

Final Thoughts-cont’d Stuff to read –Harvard Business Review-”How to Manage your Boss” –“Dress for Success-Men and Women” –“How to win friends and influence people”-Dale Carneige –Take a sales class at UCSB etc. Should be one or two day course on professional selling

Thank You Are There Any Questions?