How can you make a project plan more resilient?
The Challenge
Pull up the plan for a project you're currently work on (if you don't have a formal project plan, quickly jot down the most important milestones and components). This could be either a personal or professional project. What portion of the timeline is the least resilient right now? (That is, which task or item has the least amount of wiggle-room, and that would throw off the rest of the project the most if it were not completed on time?)
Why do this?
Any project manager (or contractor, vacationer, parent…) knows to expect the unexpected. (By the way, if you noticed that this challenge is similar to another one you've done, you're right. It is! We developed a series dedicated to flexibility, and this challenge is part of that series.)
Being prepared for a sudden change in resources, people, circumstances, or time will make you nimble and confident--two of the most important aspects of a flexible mindset.
What’s next?
Brainstorm three ways you could build in more padding around that task. Could you give the person in charge of it additional resources? Could the task itself be reconfigured to be less time-intensive? If there's truly no way you could change it, how could you prepare in advance to be sure that this part of the project moves as seamlessly as possible?
