Dealing with Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously.  Project managers often experience this feeling in the course of everyday life because they see differences emerge between goals and reality.  An example from my own experience may help describe the situation and what a project manager can do about it:

Project schedule goal and work left to do are way out of whack:

In many cases, by the time a project manager is assigned to a project, management has already determined or set the desired schedule – often based on trade show schedule or sales meeting schedule.  These are often business realities, but initially the schedule may seem reasonable, or at least do-able.  Especially when the project is promised whatever staff and equipment it needs.

Then the product definition is worked on and several new features are uncovered.  Again, more work, but “maybe if we work hard we can get the prototype done in time for the show.”

When we ask for extra people to help make up for the new features we are told that “budget constraints won’t let that happen now – maybe in a few months.”

Then an early prototype fails an important test or feedback from the users is not positive.  Additional troubleshooting or definition will be needed before the remaining work can be accomplished.

As time passes and more reality begins to set in, the project manager may realize that the likelihood of meeting the desired schedule has fallen below 75%, below 50%, below X%.

In a worst-case scenario, the project manager remains hopeful, tries to tell the story, but isn’t heard when he or she tries to explain it to management.  Just before the due date, management finally understands that it cannot be accomplished.  The ranting phase begins …

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier so we could add resources (even though you did)?”

“Last month at the project review, you said we could still meet the goal (even though it depended on alien technology and divine intervention to do so), what happened?”

“How can you fall 3 months behind in 30 days?”

How to avoid or resolve cognitive dissonance

There are several ways to reduce or eliminate these issues.  Most are not easy, but in the long run they are necessary.  They do require that the management team be willing to deal in facts and reality instead of wishful thinking.
 
Make sure you have created an actual plan, and then deal with any differences

When first assigned, do your homework – evaluate the thoroughness of the product or project definition, WBS, perform an initial project and product risk analysis, look at the staffing and funding levels (and so on).  If the answer doesn’t agree with the desired target, pull management into the discussion of why and what could be done about it.  If they agree with changes in staffing, definition, or support, recast the plan and have them sign off on it.  Make sure that you execute to the staffing and spending plans so that further issues are not caused by you.  Dealing with management’s desired goal and your planned goal early will be better for the team and the company.

Confess early and often

If you discover a problem, don’t sit on it and hope that it will go away.  As soon as you see the problem, involve the team in understanding it and developing a way to solve it. Then tell management about it (see next item).  One of the reasons a 30-day slip occurs in a week is that the team has hoped the problem would go away, but not told management about it.  Uncovering these surprises frequently often makes management not trust the team or project manager.

When a problem arises, have a solution or get-well plan when you present the issue

When describing the problem to management, don’t just whine about the problem and how tough it is to do development work.  Explain the “what” of the problem and “why” the problem has arisen and what you plan to do about it.  Sometimes understanding the problem thoroughly and coming up with a get-well plan takes time, but at a minimum explain what happened (we failed the EMI compliance test, the cost of the product has gone up X$ due to a, b, and c) and here’s what we plan to do about it.  Sometimes all you can do is make a plan for a plan (We will investigate and have a briefing and a plan within 3 days).
By doing and committing to solid planning, admitting and being transparent when problems arise, and focusing on a solution for getting back on track you can improve your team’s performance and credibility.

-- Matt Glei, www.KnowHowConsulting.biz

Related Links
Project plans are more than schedules. Reporting issues is easier if you keep it brief and focus on solutions. Try using an executive summary to keep senior management up-to-date on risks before they hit the fan.