When stakeholders push for impossible deadlines, open communication becomes essential to manage expectations. A transparent conversation helps understand the urgency behind their demands, followed by a thorough assessment of project feasibility. Presenting a realistic plan highlights potential risks like quality issues or team burnout if adjustments aren’t made. Proposing alternative timelines or phased deliverables offers a balanced solution that addresses concerns without compromising the project’s long-term success. The goal is to find a compromise that maintains progress while safeguarding both quality and team well-being.

Cuando la demanda excede la capacidad de los recursos hay que hacer 3 cosas. Primero identificar el cuello de botella que limita la capacidad. Segundo, establecer las prioridades adecuadas en la cola de trabajo de dicho cuello de botella. Tercero informar a las partes interesadas de cómo va a ser la secuencia de entregas con dicho plan.

Once in business school I was put into a small group of people I'd never worked with before, given the parameters of a complex presentation we needed to give together, and the group was given (drumroll please ?? ?? ??) 5 MINUTES to create an entire powerpoint presentation, orchestrate all of us having a speaking role, and then give the presentation for peer review to our classmates. Moral of the story: If you want to go for something that has a deadline, it doesn't matter (at all) what that deadline is. Just whip together your best response with the resources you have available, submit by the deadline, and rest easy knowing you've done the best you can.

One thing I've found helpful is using open, honest and clear communication when dealing with impossible project deadlines. To me that speaks to a larger misunderstanding about the scope of work requested, this is why I engage stakeholders early in the process to collaborate on solutions to any deadline challenges we face.