What do you do if your project is experiencing scope creep?

First, recognize and acknowledge any gradual increase in project scope. Without processes to track changes, scope creep can easily go unnoticed, especially if changes appear minor and are fulfilled by the team as one-off requests. It's vital to document all change requests, whether formal or informal. Establishing a review process makes it easier to identify and manage scope adjustments.

Wow, this is a threat for every project- or program manager! There are always multiple good reasons to make changes in a project scope ... i.e. marketing didn't do their job well enough. However when these alterations are nonetheless implemented and the market release date is delayed, you're the one that will get the blame! To prevent this, make sure you have clear and committed project phases with clear deliverables per phase, whereby after the "commitment phase" NO changes or alterations are allowed ... unless the eventual revised release date of the project is approved by all stake holders and management.

No solo debemos conocer o tomar conocimiento sino que deberíamos indagar el por qué de su aparición. Es importante determinar el origen: endógeno o exógeno del fenómeno, revisando los lineamientos del original puesto en marcha.

Si tenemos correctamente identificado el origen y el grado de incidencia (impacto) sobre el original su resolución es mucho más viable en el corto plazo, excepto que la incidencia vaya más allá de lo normal. Debemos aceptar que estas situaciones son cada vez más recurrentes y, por lo general, proviene de escenarios exógenos.

This happened to me recently. We were building a marketing campaign, when a stakeholder suggested adding a whole new social media platform to the mix. Now, don't get me wrong, the platform itself was great, but integrating it meant a complete overhaul of the content calendar and a potential delay in launch. Stakeholders often have fantastic ideas, but they might not always see the full picture. My team and I sat down with them, not to shut down the idea, but to have a real conversation. We walked them through the impact on resources, timeline, and even the overall campaign goals. We ended up tweaking the original plan to include a smaller, more targeted social media push later on.

La implementación de controles predeterminados para la detección de estos desvíos no puede anticiparse, de hecho hacerlo sería estar reconociendo la gran probabilidad de que sucedan.

Adopting practices that make one resilient are key. Practices such as Mindfulness, pausing to reflect, investigating ones thoughts and reflecting can keep you grounded and focused, reducing overthinking and stress. These practices promote clarity in thought, action, and communication, essential for managing projects effectively.

Mindfulness ?? could come to your rescue ?? Using mindfulness you can address the issue. Mindfulness will define the scope of the project and will not let it creep. Regular mindfulness sessions with regard to scope creep can keep it at bay.

Scope creep is common in consulting, especially if the client is not sure about what he “truly” wants. Sometimes what’s communicated is not really what is needed. And as the engagement moves forward, it can start raising its spiky head. As a consultant when you come across such a situation, it’s best to talk to client about it. Be open , be vulnerable. That will help the client lower his defences and open his mind. Once that happens, next comes the obvious step. Rewrite the scope and start fresh!