How Project Leaders Can Guide Their Projects Through Times of Change

One thing you can absolutely count on when managing projects is change. It is inevitable that you will confront at least one — and more likely many — changes throughout a project. Some of these you won’t be able to anticipate, like a pandemic, but most you can plan for. How you handle those changes will be a key factor in the success of a project.

“In today’s dynamic and competitive world, a project manager’s key challenge is coping with frequent unexpected events,” writes Alexander Laufer, director of the Consortium for Project Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and fellow authors in an article for MIT Sloan Management Review. 

Confronting change is especially difficult if project plans aren’t inherently flexible. An inflexible plan throws up roadblocks that inhibit project leaders from adjusting quickly. There are tactics business analysts and project managers working together can use to address change and obstacles that might otherwise complicate project progress and eventual success.

Acknowledge Change Requests and Implications

This may seem like common sense, but acknowledging a change request is an important tactic for guiding a project through a period of change. The very nature of change is disruptive and uncomfortable, so the first instinct is often to ignore it or say “no.” That isn’t healthy for a project, however, because some changes can improve project outcomes.

Project stakeholders and company decision makers don’t want to hear that a request is impossible without being presented with options for solutions or resolutions. When project managers respond immediately with a “no” to change, “dialogue ends, collaboration falters, and innovation is stifled,” writes Productive Collective Consultancy CEO Keren Nimmo. It’s important that when a change is requested, the idea is at least brought to the table for collaborative discussions, she explains, calling it the “‘yes, and…’ principle.”  

From there, you can present your findings and guide your stakeholders to a decision driven by data. “Don’t let your immediate reaction be shutting the problem down; instead, take a second to think about it before you decide on the best direction,” advises Gillian Sibthorpe, certified ScrumMaster and product manager, Sports Presentation, at Sky Betting and Gaming in the U.K. 

Set Criteria for Assessing Change Events

The process for assessing change requests or unexpected change events will be much smoother if there are already criteria in place for appraising the effects of a change. What you don’t want to happen is to have an unexpected change event arise and you have to create assessment criteria on the fly. 

“It's vital that the criteria for this evaluation be determined before it's needed so that time is not wasted reaching consensus,” writes Jane Suchan, director IT Business Office at REI. “Setting these parameters will help balance change with overall business goals and benefits.” That criteria should include assessments of impacts to time and schedule, budget, business requirements and resources, due dates, quality measures and stakeholder expectations. 

Focus on Data to Drive Decisions

For the business analyst and all other stakeholders to understand the implications of a change, those assessments must be driven by data. Accurate data ensures companies make the best decisions based on the information available to them, writes PMWorld 360 Magazine founder Moira Alexander.

There are a variety of different analyses that can be run on project data to ensure project-friendly decisions are made during times of change. Luke Desmond, transformation director at CISCO, explains four types of analysis: 

• Descriptive analytics, which involves interpreting historical data for better insights into the past.

• Diagnostic analytics, which investigates why things happened in the past.

• Predictive analytics, which provides information for predictions about the future.

• Prescriptive analytics, which seeks to find the best possible course of action in a particular scenario.

By aggregating data and running proper analytics, business analysts are armed to guide projects through times of change. 

Involve Your Project Team From Start to Finish

You can’t do anything without your project team. They are the ones who carry out the day-to-day technical work on a project and produce the project’s deliverables. Without their support and expertise, projects are at risk for failure. This is especially true during times of change. 

Everyone must be on the same page to move a project forward through change. That’s why it is so important to involve your project team with any decisions on project changes. They are responsible for creating the solutions that will incorporate the change; managing the technical aspects of the change; keeping all stakeholders moving in the same direction through a change; and ensuring change plans are integrated into a project, writes change management solutions company Prosci. 

Without guidance from the project manager, the project team cannot do its job on the technical side of change, they add. Your team will look to you to keep the chaos under control.

To lead your team through periods of change, Elizabeth Harrin, FAPM, director at Otobos Consultants, suggests being open about changes as they come through and including the team in the process. She says that you, as the leader, need to be a stabilizing force who makes the change process as simple as possible and offers help when needed.

By engaging your team during change, you set the team up for success.

Prioritize Communication Between Stakeholders

Communication is the cornerstone of project success. This is amplified during times of change when the potential for disorganization and miscommunication is at its peak. Business analysts must prioritize communication to avoid losing control of a project. 

To successfully manage change, project leaders should communicate regularly with all stakeholders. All communications must be “clear, concise, and concrete” so that everyone stays involved in the process, writes Rachel Burger, director of marketing and recruiting at mgm Technology. This helps to ensure that a project moves as smoothly as possible through the change process.  

To reach all stakeholders, consider using various methods of communication, both active and passive, writes the team at business consultancy 20/20. Active communication includes face-to-face meetings, video conferences and webinars. Passive communication includes emails, websites and newsletters, they say. Each type plays a role in keeping everyone involved connected through the change process. 

Embrace a Flexible Mindset

Responding to change requires a flexibility of mind. In order to navigate a time of change, project leaders must be adaptable to successfully incorporate change requirements into the planned project. 

“Being flexible inside of your own mind is the key to being flexible with the project,” writes Yada Senapathy, CEO at Project Management Training Institute. “Let your vision of the project be fluid enough to allow it to change and grow as circumstances change. Be positive in your attitude, proactive in your vision, and light in your feet.”

This will also help guide your team over obstacles during the change process. With a rigid mindset, you aren’t open to new ideas and feedback from your stakeholders. By being flexible in your own mind about how to deal with change and by listening to others, you can help your team conquer physical and emotional roadblocks, writes the team at ProjectManager.com.  

Keep Your Team Motivated to Change

Motivating the team is an important part of a project manager’s job, writes career consultant Charles Ebert. 

Project changes can complicate this aspect of the job. Sometimes changes can be so disruptive that teams, especially those on projects with no flexibility built in, can shut down and lose their drive to finish. They may get frustrated with and disinterested in the change process. It’s up to the project manager to ensure the team stays focused and motivated to produce the best results possible. 

One way to ensure your team stays motivated is to secure their buy-in for changes from the start of the change process. “A feeling of ownership naturally results from participation in a project, which helps increase enthusiasm,” writes Doug Rowe, PMP, principal at assurance, tax and consulting firm BerryDunn.

Another key part to motivating the team is to celebrate their successes. At both the team and the individual level, it’s important to recognize not only milestones, but also the smaller victories along the way that are meaningful to others. By recognizing successes, you provide the fuel your team needs to keep moving forward. It also helps to ensure “the adoption of both your change management process as well as adoption of the change itself,” writes the team at enterprise platform Smartsheet. 

When project plans aren’t built to easily adapt to change, it can be a stressful time for any project teams and stakeholders who weren’t prepared to adapt. It’s up to the project managers and business analysts who are leading the projects to ensure that the change process is as smooth as possible so everyone stays committed to successfully completing projects.