The way project managers communicate and handle relationships can have a profound effect on a project. Here’s a story that illustrates this.
During a project, an experienced supplier specializing in inventory and tagging was identified as a potential risk. He was already stretched across several projects, creating a concern that key personnel might become unavailable when they are most needed.
Initially, the likelihood of this happening was rated 3 out of 5, with an impact of 5 out of 5, giving the risk an exposure score of 15 out of 25. This was color-labeled as an “orange” risk.
A month later, the likelihood had risen to 4 out of 5. However, the potential impact had fallen to 4 out of 5 because the client had taken steps to mitigate the consequences. The new exposure was 16 out of 25, marking it a “red” risk.
The supplier objected to the way the change would be presented at the upcoming steering committee meeting. The client’s standard practice was to show each risk alongside its color, with no explanation. The supplier wanted the presentation to show the previous and current assessments on a timeline, making it clear that the risk had increased by only one point.
The project manager refused. Not because there was a practical reason. He simply wanted the supplier to understand “who was boss.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, the supplier wasn’t willing to let it go. He appealed to the project manager’s supervisor, who also refused, although for very different reasons. The supervisor believed the supplier had been given too much responsibility and saw the situation as an opportunity to damage the relationship and regain control.
The situation escalates
As it turned out, two refusals were too much for the supplier. He threatened not to attend the next steering committee meeting.
Suddenly, the project manager realized that his refusal had created a crisis. The meeting was the following morning, the supplier was angry, and he could no longer remember why he had refused in the first place.
So, he did the only thing he could do. He stopped listening to his ego.
The project manager called the supplier, agreed to change the risk presentation, and made the necessary updates. He didn’t tell his supervisor, knowing he would reject the last-minute change.
The next morning, the supervisor and project manager arrived first. When the supplier walked in, the supervisor muttered, “I knew he wouldn’t have the guts to not attend the meeting.”
The project manager was anxious. He avoided eye contact, because he knew his supervisor was in for a surprise.
When the risk slide appeared, it showed the new reporting method. Instead of conflict, the change led to a lively and relevant discussion. No one was angry. No one lost face. And the meeting moved forward.
The bottom line
Looking back, it is clear that the project manager initially cared more about authority rather than outcomes. But once he put his ego aside, he was able to resolve the problem quickly.
By changing the presentation, the project manager helped repair the relationship with the supplier. He also made an important distinction: if there were practical reasons to end the relationship, that would be one thing. But a disagreement over how risks were presented shouldn’t be one of them. The supplier agreed, and their relationship ultimately blossomed into a much stronger and more cooperative one.
The most memorable aspect of the story has to do with risks and crises. In order to prevent a crisis from escalating, the project manager took a risk by bypassing his supervisor – and it paid off. He did this because he recognized that effective project management means backtracking to protect key relationships. He also did it because sometimes you have to think outside the box in order to move forward.
Most importantly, it should be noted this crisis situation was easily avoidable. In the end, most of the potential damage was prevented, but the tested relationships and mounting tension did not help the project. Perhaps more experienced project managers would never have let their egos lead the way.
