Hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome explore strategies for improving project delivery by focusing on resilience in project management. They discuss common setbacks like VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity), poorly defined business requirements, shifting priorities, and external dependencies. The episode emphasizes accepting what can't be changed, the importance of self-care, leadership's role, and the psychological impacts of setbacks. They propose actionable strategies like acknowledging emotions, replanning, and fostering a positive mindset to turn setbacks into growth opportunities.

Main Take-Aways

Setbacks in project execution are inevitable. The resilient project leader understands this and develops resilience to deal with setbacks:

• VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity)
• dealing with complexity and constraints
• impacts of poorly defined requirement, incomplete requirements, unrealistic project timelines, project risk
• the effects of human behavior and resistance to change
• ineffective leadership and the psychological effects on projects
• resilience through self-care and recovery from setbacks
• acknowledging emotions that come with setbacks
• accepting what is out of your control
• re-baselining and developing new action plans
• having a positive mindset

Show Notes

Today’s Project Managers Coffee Chat: Resilience in Dealing with Setbacks

00:28 Understanding resilience and why it is a necessary project management trait when faced with project setbacks.

01:11 The effects of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) on managing projects.

02:51 Dealing with complexity and constraints as they interact and threaten setbacks.

03:25 The detrimental impacts of poorly defined requirements.

04:45 The detrimental impacts of unrealistic project timelines.

05:37 Dealing with project risk.

06:00 The detrimental impacts of incomplete or incorrectly defined requirements and large technology learning curves.

06:26 Human behavior and resistance to change.

09:29 Poor leadership and the psychological impacts of setbacks resulting from poor leadership.

11:38 Self-care and recovery from the impact of setbacks are the mark of resilient project leadership.

12:31 Strategies for overcoming setbacks include avoiding the temptation to lecture the team; instead use teachable moments to educate.

13:02 Learn to take time as a team to acknowledge the emotions that come with setbacks.

15:11 Learn to accept what you cannot change.

16:09 When a major setback occurs, re-baseline and develop a new action plan.

18:04 Reframing setbacks as learning opportunities by establishing a positive mindset.