It’s close to the deadline and your team is working hard to get the product out the door.
Tempers flare. Designers blame other designers for not thinking through a concept. Programmers blame designers quipping that they didn’t get enough information when they requested it five months ago. Project Managers defend their team’s actions knowing that they didn’t quite execute their best work. The client complains that this isn’t what they wanted, what they paid for or what will even work on their system.
The blame game grows unless someone steps up and admits that it isn’t perfect, that emotions are high and that no one is going to be completely happy. But, stepping up also means navigating the team members to the finish line. After all, don’t they all have the same goal?
In the heat of the moment, it is easy to blame. But, as the project completes and the emotions simmer a bit, everyone can look back and see the mistakes that were made by all. Requirements could have been clearer, processes updated, communication lines just a little more open.
The lesson is to remember that it will happen again and get ahead of it. There will be more heated moments. There will be more blaming. But, going into that inferno giving a heads up to everyone that their emotions may get the best of them can help.
Heat of the moment blaming is more manageable if we can just keep the end goal in mind (or at least taped to the cube wall).
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