Are You Dreading Your Next Project Review?

When was the last time you heard an executive say that they were looking forward to the next project review? Unfortunately, it happens a lot less than you would expect.

So, what about your next big project review? Is there a dread factor?  If yes, it could have significant implications for your performance and success. Here we share ways to turn dread into positive anticipation, including our pitstop analytics solution.

The Dread Factor

Let’s start with a quick check of your project for the dread factor. Where are you on the following 10 points scale:

1 = Dreading it

5  = Neutral – neither dreading nor looking forward to it

10 = Looking forward to it

Let’s explore why a score of 6.5 or higher is required. In particular, the implications of dreading your next review.

Dreading the next review?

Too many leaders dread the next project review. That has surprising implications for project success. It even has the potential to undermine the critical link between project and business success.

Dreading the next project review is one of the reasons why reviews don’t happen often enough and, when they do happen, that they are not effective enough.

As we will see shortly, dreading the project review often stems from a lack of clarity on the purpose of the project review.

 Why the project review?

What is the purpose of a project review?  The typical answers include to ensure visibility and control, effective project management, checking on status, correcting deviations from the plan, and so on. However, while these are valid answers, they are secondary factors.  This matters because it is getting the purpose of the review wrong is one of the reasons for dread.

The primary purpose of the project review is to propel the project further and faster.  Put another way, it is to accelerate and sustain project momentum.  That means energizing and engaging people, clarifying key priorities, adjusting the plan and ensuring focus and alignment.

Implications of Dread

If people are dreading the next review, then it has likely failed before it has even started. The review is hardly going to energize and engage if people are dreading it. It could hinder rather than further progress, generate confusion rather than clarity, and demotivate rather than energize.

In classic terms, dreading the next project review results in 3 types of behaviors:

• Flight – Avoidance or withdrawal, or denial (e.g. staying silent perhaps even concealing information).
• Fight – Disruptive meeting behaviors and emotions, including anger and defensiveness.
• Freeze – Anxiety, frustration and doubt, even paralysis and demotivation.

The Causes of Dread

Dreading the project review is a warning signal that something is wrong and needs to be attended to.  If you are dreading the next project review, then look more closely:

• There is likely a problem that goes beyond the 60 or 90 minutes presentation or conversation regarding project status. The issues often go deeper than the project review.  It often reflects a lack of alignment and indicates that there are conversations not being had (CNBH). Dreading the project review points to a gap between strategy and execution.
• The project review probably has not been set up for success. Maybe it will be better than you think, or maybe it won’t.  But why take the chance? Rather than hoping it will be ‘all right on the day’ it is better to get out in front of the process and address risks and concerns head on. The simple act of checking in with key participants ahead of the review can reduce dread and increase the chances of an effective review.
• There may be too much pressure on the project review and the people involved. When project conversations are not happening frequently enough, there may be too many issues on the agenda, too much pressure to cover everything and not enough time. The 9 Rights is a valuable tool for ensuring the success of your next project review, ensuring there is clarity on the right results, the right roles, the right work and so on.
• Your role maybe unclear or under pressure. You may not have the support you need.

A Word of Caution 

A positive and uncontentious project review may not be what your project needs.  Project sponsors and leaders have to be willing to embrace tension, alternative perspectives and conflicting priorities within project reviews. Project reviews that only deal on good news are unlikely to people a project forward.

A sense of dread is a clear warning sign. Pay attention to it.  Take action as a result.