Responding to project setbacks

There are times when I am in the car listening to the radio that I will start to sing or bop along to a song. Other times it triggers thoughts and memories.

“I get knocked down but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down”, got me thinking about the importance of resilience for project teams.

Resilience in projects is defined as the capability of a project team to respond to, prepare for and reduce the impact of disruption caused by the drifting environment and project complexity. The dimensions of resilience are proactivity, coping ability, flexibility, and persistence. Ref: Loughborough University

Every project will have setbacks. What is important is how we respond – let’s look at an individual and team response.

Lucy is known for her individual resilience. Over her illustrious career, she has weathered numerous storms. When a project she was leading for a major client was faced with unexpected regulatory changes, many thought it would collapse. But Lucy stood firm. With her agile mindset, she quickly adapted her plans to align with the new regulations, put in extra hours, and managed to deliver the project successfully on time. Lucy’s resilience was her strength. She could single-handedly steer projects through the roughest waters.

Bob, on the other hand, led his projects with a focus on team resilience. When one of his key projects hit a major obstacle – a critical system failure that resulted in a massive data loss – the project seemed destined for failure. Unlike Lucy, Bob didn’t shoulder this challenge alone. Instead, he called for an urgent team meeting.

In the meeting, he encouraged his team to share their feelings about the setback openly. Bob emphasised the importance of treating this failure as a shared responsibility and an opportunity for collective growth. The team members brainstormed together, with Bob carefully fostering an environment of mutual trust and respect. One of the junior developers suggested a recovery method he had learned at a recent tech conference. They collectively decided to give it a try, and to their relief, it worked. The data was recovered, and with combined efforts, the team managed to deliver the project successfully.

Both types of resilience are crucial in a project management setting. Project Managers like Lucy showcase the importance of leading from the front, while Project Managers like Bob demonstrate the power of collective effort and resilience in navigating adversity. To build truly resilient organisations, we need to foster both individual and team resilience, combining the unique strengths of both approaches.

Take a moment to check if your project team/s are demonstrating these early signs for a lack of resilience.

• Difficulty adapting to change
• Focus on failures
• Poor communication
• Low morale and motivation
• Ineffective problem-solving
• High stress and burnout levels

To build project team resilience, consider these strategies:

Foster a Growth Mindset: Encourage project team members to see challenges and setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. This mindset can promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Promote Open Communication: Create an environment where project team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and failures. This can foster trust and collaboration and enable more effective problem-solving.

Encourage Adaptability: Promote flexibility and adaptability in the face of change. This can help the project team to navigate more effectively unexpected shifts in project scope or timelines.

Provide Support and Resources: Ensure that project team members have access to the resources and support they need to successfully navigate challenges. This could include providing training in resilience-building techniques, access to mentoring or coaching, or other forms of support.

Celebrate Successes: Regularly acknowledge and celebrate project team successes, no matter how small. This can help to boost morale and motivation and reinforce a positive, resilient mindset.

Facilitate Reflection and Learning: After a setback or challenge, facilitate a project team discussion to reflect on what happened, what was learned, and how this learning can be applied in the future. This can help to turn setbacks into opportunities for growth and development.

Building a resilient project team requires intentional effort and leadership. The benefits can be significant in terms of increased productivity, engagement, and delivery success.