Hello Reader,

Has your project just ticked over into Red status? I know what that feels like! And I know what the scrutiny is like too – suddenly you’ve got a lot of attention on your project and everyone is demanding a path to Green.

I’ve been managing projects for over 20 years and many of my projects and programs have had periods of Red… sometimes for a long time!

It is something you can handle, so let me share my top tips for surviving the Red stage and let’s get you tooled up to talk to stakeholders and get back to Green.

First things first: act quickly

The first thing to do when your project goes Red is to act quickly. Make sure the right people know that you will be reporting the project as Red, because your sponsor won’t like it if they find out about it through the weekly portfolio report and not from you.

Hopefully you would have reported Amber/Yellow status before you zinged up to Red, so it won’t be a total surprise.

I’ve always thought of Red as a good thing. It means you get the attention you need to unblock your project: whether that’s more money, an agreement that the date can change or something else. (OK, that something else might be closing your project prematurely…).

Manage stakeholder expectations when your project goes Red. Let them know that there are governance hoops to jump through and that you’ll be escalating the problem, with a view to securing support to keep the project moving forward.

That might mean they have things to do as well, for example, they might need to lead a replanning exercise.

Escalating project status

Generally, you’ll escalate the project status and flag it as Red through your normal reporting process. That might be a weekly or monthly status report, or a report to your steering group.

Complete your report as normal.

Then let the key stakeholders know what is in the report before you submit it, especially the sponsor. Circulate and socialize!

Getting back to Green

Getting back to Green is everyone’s goal at this point. Or frankly, sometimes you might settle for Amber/Yellow!

It is often relatively straightforward to identify what needs to happen:

• If you are running late, your steering group or program board needs to approve a replan to a later date or the resources to enable you to deliver to the original date.
• If you’re running over budget, you need approval to increase your budget.

However, getting either of those things, or any other remedial action, agreed, approved and implemented is a big ask.

For more tips about managing red projects, 5 suggestions for getting back to green, and tips for PMO leaders dealing with lots of Red, read this.

Don’t be afraid to turn your project Red. If it meets the criteria, it should be Red, and that doesn’t always need to mean bad news. It’s the opportunity for the team to work together to course correct.

When your project is Red (or preferably before, at Amber/Yellow status), proactively manage the project’s path back to Green. Work with the project team to identify the best course of action.

Have a great week!

Elizabeth

This and that

• A reminder that my project management basics workshop is tomorrow and you still have time to sign up.
• Check out the project phases checklist bundle to help you manage all the tasks of every phase of your projects.
• Are you ready to balance work and life during the upcoming festive season? Read on for my productivity tips.