You're facing scope changes from external factors. How do you navigate these unexpected challenges?

Start by evaluating how scope changes affect your project. Analyze new requirements and their implications on resources, timelines, and risks. Determine if the change is a minor tweak or a major overhaul. This assessment is crucial for forming your response strategy and helps you communicate the situation clearly to your team and stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed.

Scope creep is a common occurrence. If at all possible account for these when planning the delivery. You must keep focused on the delivery of the MVP. From the start of the project make sure that all stakeholders are aware and on-board with delivery in phases. Ensure that all ‘new requests’ are documented and you have a process to assess, prioritise or discard the requests. Any major changes to the scope would require stakeholder approval of the timeline and cost. There needs to be awareness that more can’t be done with no change to cost and / or time.

É essencial analisar o impacto e apresentar para os stakeholders o resultado do diagnóstico gerado. Algumas formas para criar esse diagnóstico incluem: Framework de Priorização RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort): Para avaliar e comparar iniciativas. Análise SWOT (Forças, Fraquezas, Oportunidades e Ameaças). Matriz de Priorização. Com esse diagnóstico, apresente para o board os possíveis cenários, as análises dos riscos e defina uma estratégia onde todos estejam comprometidos. Importante também nesse plano de ação é levar para o time as métricas e KPIs, o racional que levaram a essa repriorização e garantir que o time esteja engajado.

Assess Impact: Evaluate how the changes affect the project’s scope, timeline, and resources. Identify critical tasks that need immediate attention. Communicate with Stakeholders: Inform stakeholders about the changes, their impact, and potential solutions. Keep communication transparent to manage expectations. Adjust Plans: Revise project plans, timelines, and resources to accommodate the new requirements. Re-prioritize tasks and adjust milestones accordingly.

After assessing the impact, initiate transparent discussions with stakeholders. Explain the changes, their effects on the project, and potential options. Encourage a two-way conversation to hear concerns and suggestions. Engaging stakeholders in the problem-solving process fosters collaboration, leading to a mutually acceptable path forward that aligns with business objectives.

Adjust your project plan. Update timelines, resources, and deliverables as necessary. This might involve reallocating efforts, shifting deadlines, or redefining milestones. Ensure the revised plan is realistic and flexible enough to accommodate further changes, maintaining project alignment and readiness for future adjustments.