I’m sure you’ve been in this situation before.
You’re on the phone with a client, and things are… awkward.
The project has been going according to plan. Project communication had been going swimmingly—until now. You were being a good project manager, executing tasks, sending deliverables, and satisfying every expectation, but then, things began to come apart.
First, it was budget issues, then, scope creep, then, you had to fire a key team member, then, the client went on vacation, then you had a project estimation snafu, and then things totally unravelled.
Now, you’re on the phone. It’s not good.
She’s not happy with you; You’re not happy with her; You’re frustrated with your team; She’s frustrated with your team; She’s about to pull the plug on the project; You don’t want her to pull the plug on the project.
Basically, everyone is tense.
Yeah... it’s pretty awkward.
And you have to salvage this situation somehow. The question is, where do you even start?
Whatever tense situation you’ve faced in your storied project management career, I’m sure you can relate. Every PM has war stories, battle wounds, and ugly flashbacks from client relationships gone awry.
Knowing how to handle these situations and defuse them is the hallmark of a good project manager.
Let me suggest a scripted process that will help you turn that tense standoff into a win-win.
Remember, this isn’t a blame game. This is a cold and analytic assessment of the situation.
Do a free-thinking brainstorm of all the reasons things fell apart.
Here are some common culprits:
Unless you have an impossible client (it happens), you and the client can both share the blame.
But when you are trying to defuse the situation, that’s not the way to present it.
Ready for your script? Okay, here it comes.
Yes, your first step is to eat crow.
All that’s necessary for this first step is a bold declaration, a clear explanation, and a dash of humility.
Don’t hedge it. Just say, “We screwed up” or whichever colorful variant of “I’m a loser” you prefer.
Sales savant Grant Cardone has a great line that can help set your perspective: “Always, Always, Always Agree!”
Look at it from the client’s perspective.
Agree with them by admitting culpability. Then, do two things. First, provide them with a clear explanation and second, remember that humility is a virtue.
Explain exactly what went wrong.
Okay, stop your entire mental process for just a moment. I need to make a very important point. This is not the time to make excuses.
Excuses not allowed, period.
Examples
Yes, you are admitting wrong.
Your explanation need not be long, but it should be clear. You must delineate exactly what the problem is you’re dealing with.
Now serving… humble pie. It’s not going to be easy.
Enough groveling. Let’s get into the good stuff.
To recover from your abject abasement, it’s time to pull a power move. (I love power moves)
In this power move, you are going to explain how to fix it.
Just as you were clear with your “We blew it” speech, you must be equally clear with your “We will fix it” speech.
Clarity is everything. Tense situations often arise due to lack of clarity.
You don’t need to ask permission to fix it, nor do you need a meekly worded, “Is that alright?”
No.
You broke it. You fix it.
The fix-it conversation is the central feature of this entire process. This is where you pack all of the substance, the discussion, the intention, and the passion that you can muster.
You’re going to fix it. Explain how.
The third phase is the denouement.
You reached a climax in your “We will fix it” speech. Now, you’re coming off that high with a discussion of safeguards that will fireproof the project.
You’re doing this for 2 reasons:
I recommend concrete actions that are verifiable, objective, and data-driven.
For example: “We’re really working hard to make sure this never happens again” is a flimsy statement. It’s unquantifiable, subjective, and bereft of real assurance.
I know I’ve said it 82 times already, but clarity is a key feature of this part of the conversation.
The clearer you can be, the greater your ability to assure the client that things are going to be okay.
Sometimes, the only way to defuse a tense situation is with some give-and-take.
I’ve traced out a pretty aggressive alpha male attitude to fixing the problem, but sometimes, you need to negotiate.
To have this discussion from the strongest position possible, you create a set of options for the client.
Each option must be explicitly fair, explicitly solution-focused, and explicitly understandable.
Nobody likes tense situations. They make you uncomfortable before, during, and after.
The only way to make such situations better is by facing them head-on with a clear plan, absolutely unambiguous communication, and a clear path forward.
My parting advice?
Stay in control. Don’t let a wild and wooly situation develop any more wool or wild. Instead, maintain a firm grip on it. If you can do so, then you will probably salvage a product and save a client.
Maybe someone will even nominate you for project manager of the year.
Lay a clear path to success with a visual plan that’s easy to understand, and keep everyone in sync with flexible workflows and team collaboration.