“Days, weeks, months, or years?”
You’re in a project meeting and the engineer says he needs more time.? The task isn’t going as well as hoped and it’s not debatable – he just needs more time.
Of course, having just been burned by missing a deadline, he’s reluctant volunteer himself to a new deadline. Especially when the delay was unexpected and out of his control.?
It think this is totally reasonable.
But it’s also not helpful.
In my experience, it’s best to not immediately push hard for a new deadline.? Instead, ask? for some kind of framing or context.? I like to ask, “will it be days, weeks, months, or years?”? People usually laugh. And the engineer is always able to pick one of those options.
Accept their answer, whatever it is.? Then, in the subsequent days talk to them about it again to get more clarity. They’ll be in a better state of mind and more comfortable setting a deadline.
If you’re cynical, you might see this as manipulation. I prefer to think of it as “doing to others what I’d like them to do to me”. Giving space to think and work, accepting answers, and following up.? It also gives the rest of the team some helpful perspective.
#communication #schedulemanagement #projectmanagement