What do you do if project deadlines are at risk due to potential bottlenecks?

2 Communicate and collaborate

The second step to deal with bottlenecks is to communicate and collaborate with your team and stakeholders. You need to inform them of the issue, the impact, and the actions you are taking to resolve it. You also need to listen to their feedback, suggestions, and concerns, and involve them in the decision-making process. Communication and collaboration can help you gain support, trust, and alignment, as well as generate ideas and solutions that you might not have considered otherwise.

4 Adjust and monitor

The fourth step to deal with bottlenecks is to adjust and monitor your project's plan and progress. You need to review your project's scope, schedule, budget, and quality, and make any necessary changes to accommodate the bottleneck and its consequences. You also need to track your project's performance, using metrics like schedule variance, cost variance, or earned value analysis, and measure the effectiveness of your actions and solutions. Adjusting and monitoring can help you control your project's risks, issues, and changes, as well as evaluate your project's outcomes and lessons learned.

5 Prevent and improve

The fifth step to deal with bottlenecks is to prevent and improve your project's workflow and processes. You need to identify and eliminate any waste, inefficiency, or variation that can cause or worsen bottlenecks in the future. You also need to implement best practices, standards, and tools that can enhance your project's productivity, quality, and reliability. Preventing and improving can help you streamline your project's workflow and processes, as well as foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

6 Celebrate and appreciate

The sixth step to deal with bottlenecks is to celebrate and appreciate your project's achievements and efforts. You need to acknowledge and reward your team and stakeholders for their contributions, results, and learnings. You also need to express your gratitude, recognition, and feedback, and encourage them to share their opinions, experiences, and insights. Celebrating and appreciating can help you boost your project's morale, satisfaction, and retention, as well as strengthen your project's relationships and reputation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?