The Whole Truth

Meaghan came to me and shared that she’s not sure how much to share with her manager or coworkers about how she’s not getting to do work she enjoys.

Bob is a project manager who isn’t sure how to tell his client there’s not enough money in the budget.

These are tough conversations. There is no doubt about that.

Based on the impact of both situations, something has to be said. However, how much you share about the situation can vary. I am not saying to ever lie, but there may be certain things that will just put you at risk that people don’t need to know about.

Let’s discuss Meaghan’s situation first:

Meaghan needs to first understand what the work is that she would enjoy and why she’s not getting to do it. Is it not a part of her role? Does she have the experience? She needs to know this in order to clearly articulate what she’s asking for.

What Meaghan should not do… complain. Saying so and so is against her is not a good approach. Highlighting any negatives of the situation does not help her move forward to get where she wants to be.

What Meaghan should do… demonstrate success. Some examples, “I would really like the opportunity to do xyz because I’ve been able to accomplish xyz and feel I am ready to take this on.” or “I really enjoyed when I was working on x and it was well-received. Will there be another opportunity like that in the future? If so, can you please let me know. If not, is there another way I could get similar experience?”

Now let’s think about Bob:

Bob really needs to do his homework to understand where the money went. Was new scope added? Did someone on the team use more hours than expected? Were the correct resources allocated?

What Bob should not do… have no solution. A client doesn’t want to hear they have no money and you want more with no solution or explanation.

What Bob should do… if it’s not his team’s fault. Explain to the client their original scope and that additional requests of xyz were made which will cost $x. (It’s better to have this conversation when the request is made or as early as possible.)

What Bob should do…if it’s his team’s fault. Be accountable for the situation. If someone on the team went over their hours because they’re learning, reclassify the hours that should not be considered billable and explain the new remaining budget correction. If the project was scoped for two different levels and only the higher level was staffed or two different locations and only the onshore person was staffed, review if the same number of hours will be required or if anything can be reallocated. Be up front about the resources on the project and their bill rates.

Don’t lie, don’t blame, explain. People appreciate open communication, but you have to be prepared to have a constructive conversation. It’s also better to have tough conversations early. The longer they fester, the worse off everyone will be because there will be less than can be done and harder feelings.

Tough conversations are harder if you don’t know how you’re going to approach it. If you have a reason and a way to work through the situation, it’s not as hard. You’ve got this!