上文内容:
“我们需要添加一些东西,可以吗?”
“当然,这是可以做到的。我们只需要延长时间。”
然而,增加时间是一个滑向深渊的下坡。
However, adding time is a slippery slope.
我看到这种情况一再发生——一个大项目开始了,距离发布只有两周时间,团队突然发现了一个问题或一个新功能,现在对项目的成功至关重要。
I’ve seen this happen over and over again—a big project gets kicked off and is only two weeks from being launched when suddenly the team discovers a problem or a new feature that is now critical to the success of the project.
为了应对这些变化,时间线又延长了三个月。
To accommodate the changes, the timeline is extended another three months.
然后,当项目接近最后两周时,另一个新问题神秘地出现了,并再次推出了(新的)启动。
Then when the project is down to that last two weeks, another new issue mysteriously appears and the launch is pushed again.
这是一个危险的螺旋【循环】。
This is a dangerous spiral.
我看到过在最初的时间线被推延后而失败的项目多得我都数不清。
I’ve seen more projects fail after an initial timeline extension than I can count.
时限的推延通常还伴随着预算的追加。
Extensions in timelines are also typically accompanied by additional budget.
因此,当您推延时,您冒着在项目的两个维度上都失败的风险
So when you extend, you risk failing on two dimensions of your project.
如果你的项目持续时间过长,你会让你的主管领导和公司失望。
You will let your sponsor and your company down if your project runs too long.
如果你的项目被推迟太多次,它很可能会被取消。你会失败,你的团队也会失败。每个人都会气馁,觉得自己的努力付诸东流。
If your project gets pushed out too many times, it will likely get canceled. You will fail, your team will also fail. Everyone will be discouraged and feel their efforts have gone to waste.
对于你所有努力工作,这不是你想看到的结果。
That’s not the result you want to see for all your hard work.
是否存在适当增加时间的情况?
Are there instances where it is appropriate to add time?
是的,当然,但你在增加时间时必须明智。
Yes, absolutely, but you must be judicious when you add time.
延期一定要很值得交易【妥协、交易】才行。
The extension must be well worth the trade.
例如,如果您正在开发一个新产品,并且收到了客户反馈,您确信如果不添加,它将失败,并且您在到期日方面尚有一定的余地,那么您可以延长时间线以涵盖这一追加的范围。
For example, if you are building a new product and have received customer feedback that has you absolutely convinced that it will fail without the addition and you also have some leeway on the due date, you can extend the timeline to cover the additional scope.
只是要确保这是一个例外【下不为例】,并且你已经从你获得了高层主管领导那里完全支持。
Just make sure that this is the exception and that you have full buy-in from your sponsor on the change.
另一个合理增加时间的例子是,当你有一位专家需要为你的项目完成工作时,而他在你需要的确切时间又不在。
Another example when it is reasonable to add time is when you have an expert who needs to complete work for your project who is not available at the exact time you need them.
这可能是因为专家正在做比你的项目更重要的事情(你的主管领导应该确认这一点),或者(由于疾病或个人紧急情况)出乎意料地无法工作。
This may be because the expert is working on something more important than your project (your sponsor should confirm that), or becomes unexpectedly unavailable (due to illness or personal emergencies).
如果你的项目可以吃得下这一等待【将这一等待自我消化掉】,那么你可以延长时间线。
If your project can stomach the wait, then you can extend the timeline.
我再次警告不要这样做做,除非觉得绝对有必要,而且每个人都已经签字同意。
Again, I caution against this unless it feels absolutely necessary and everyone has signed off.
高效的项目领导者通常会找到其他方法来节省时间,比如并行工作、加快流转移交,或者寻找其他方法来解决延迟问题,以便按时交付。
Effective project leaders typically find other ways to save time by doing work in parallel, expediting handoffs, or finding other means to negotiate around delays in order to deliver on time.
资源和范围是需要追求的其他两个杠杆。
Resources and scope are other levers to pursue.
管理与资源的权衡
Manage trade-offs with resources
如果你不想延长你的项目时间线(而且你不应该),下一个要探索的选项是是否可以添加资源来适应、消纳这个变化。
If you don’t want to extend your project timeline (and you should not), the next option to explore is whether or not it is possible to add resources to accommodate the change.
我用资源这个词来描述人力和资金。
I use the term resources to describe both people and money.
在每一个项目中,都会有你知道会来临的未知情况。
On every project, there are going to be unknowns that you know are coming.
你可能不知道会有什么意外在等着你,但你可以打赌,会有需要更多资源的事情发生。
You may not know exactly what surprises await, but you can bet that something will come up that will require more resources.
如果你开始一个有固定预算的项目,按预算完成的最佳方法是在你的计划中预先考虑到这一风险。
If you are kicking off a project with a fixed budget, the best method for finishing on budget is to build that risk into your plan up front.
未完待续