Glen was working late. “What’s up?” I asked.
He stared at a project book on his desk. Not in a jovial mood, he took in a long breath and a measured exhale. Blood boiled behind his eyes, betraying his exterior composure.
Finally he spoke, “I thought this project would be done by now, but it’s not. It is due at the client tomorrow morning at 8:00, and is only half finished. My team let me down.”
“Who was the project leader?”
“Andre,” he replied.
“And what did Andre say?”
“Funniest thing. He said he knew the deadline was tomorrow, but since I never came around to check on the project, he didn’t think it was important anymore, he didn’t start on it.”
“So, where is he now?”
“Finishing a different project from another project manager, in Kansas City. Looks like I will be here until midnight.”
“So, tell me, Glen. What happens to the importance of any project when the manager fails to follow its progress?”
“I know. At first I was mad at Andre, but it’s my own fault. I set follow-up meetings and just blew them off. Now I have to pay.”
“And next time?”
“Next time, I will make the follow-up meetings, instead of having to finish the project on my own.”
I am such a huge fan of your posts and find them concise, genuine and extremely accurate. Every time I read them, I feel in alignment with your thinking. I have to disagree with this post however. You are putting the onus on Glen for follow up where it should be Andre checking in with Milestones. Instead of suggesting that Glen sets follow up meetings with Andre for future projects, I would treat this as a coaching moment for Andre. I would expect Andre to own the whole process or perhaps he is the wrong person to lead a project.
I really appreciate your dedication to leadership development and look forward to your next post.