Your project is hit with unexpected challenges. How can you adjust your strategy to keep it on track?

The two most important aspects of understanding the impact is the magnitude and the timing of it. You have to quantify how much this is going to affect your key strategic priorities or your KPIs or your goals. So for example, you have to understand how much this is going to affect your revenue or your profitability or the timing of the launch. The second piece to understand the timing of the change. Is this something that already happened? Is this something that will happen 3 months from now? 6 months from now? You're going to have to react differently if it's something that already changed versus something that you know will change sometimes in the future.

When a project is hit with unexpected challenges, the first step isn't just to perform an impact assessment—it's to understand how this setback could be leveraged as an opportunity. Instead of simply quantifying the damage, explore how the disruption could reveal inefficiencies or hidden risks you hadn't accounted for. This deeper analysis helps you not only address the immediate problem but also fortify your project against future obstacles, turning a challenge into a strategic advantage.

It's important to start all projects with a clear plan that defines and prioritizes customer requirements. It should identify "must haves" vs. "wants." When challenges arise, the project manager should meet with the team to discuss how to adapt to complete the project on time and within parameters. Depending on the challenge, additional staff hours may make up for any delays. In other types of challenges, more creative solutions may be needed. If there is any deviation from the original project plan regarding deliverables or results, stakeholders should be contacted to discuss tradeoffs or delays and any resulting impacts. The project plan should be revised accordingly and regular status reports should be given to keep the project on track.

When challenges arise, revisiting your goals isn’t just about scaling back—it's about ensuring that what you aim to achieve still aligns with the current reality. Consider hosting a collaborative session with your team to redefine what success looks like now. This process allows you to adapt to new circumstances while keeping your team focused and motivated. By treating this as a strategic recalibration rather than a setback, you’re not just surviving the change—you’re positioning your project to thrive in a new context.

Effective, timely multi-way communication with all stakeholders is the most important thing here. Any plan that may exist is always chasing reality. To be successful, the team must have the ability to categorize and communicate changes and to make decisions quickly.

Beyond updating your strategy and your goals, you have to make quick adjustments to your action plan. The best way to do this is to first figure out the root cause of these changes, so then you can 1st of all create a plan to mitigate the impact and then a second plan for the countermeasures. It's through the countermeasure plan that you are going to try and recuperate from the effects of the setback. It's a little bit of address the symptoms short term, but make sure that you address the root cause longer term.

The times are changing, with constant innovation and new AI products comes restlessness. Leaders are less required to have a vision or an answer, they must confidently lead into the unknown. Adjusting plans isn't just a response to changes—it's an opportunity to make your project more agile and resilient, and to prove your leadership. Think of it as re-engineering your approach to be more flexible and adaptable to future uncertainties, together with your team. It's not about making temporary fixes; it’s about creating a structure that naturally accommodates change, keeping your project moving forward effectively.

When resources are strained, it’s easy to feel limited. But this is actually a chance to innovate. Take a hard look at your resources—not just what you have, but how you’re using them. Are there processes that could be streamlined or automated? Can you leverage technology or partnerships to do more with less? By optimizing your resources creatively, you not only meet your current needs but set up a more efficient operation moving forward. This approach turns constraints into a catalyst for greater productivity and focus. Streamline, continue to improve, get this mindset set in stone within your team!!

Be transparent. Be honest. Be proactive and outcome oriented. Adopt meaningful metrics that matter. Scrum is a great framework for instantiating these behaviors.

Monitoring progress effectively means more than just tracking what’s happening—it’s about staying ahead of the curve. Use real-time data and predictive analytics to not just see where you are, but anticipate where you’re going. This proactive approach allows you to identify potential issues before they become problems, keeping your project on course. Think of it as a way to stay in control, even when the road ahead is uncertain. Your project’s success depends on not just knowing where you stand, but understanding where you’re heading.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." –Charles Darwin When unexpected challenges arise, fostering adaptability is essential. The ADKAR model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) provides a structured approach to instil adaptability within your organisation and has benefited major corporations like CISCO. Start by building awareness of the need for change. Next, foster a desire to support the change and engage positively. Provide the knowledge needed to make the change, then develop the ability to implement new behaviours. Finally, reinforcement through consistent encouragement and recognition is ensured to sustain the change.

Incorporate agility. Set up a system that responds to change well, not just in IT, but organizationally. Recognize that some areas are more comfortable with having "unknown" than others so additional effort is required to bring those areas along and to get them comfortable. Often there is a degree of trust that needs to be earned to make this shift.