Deep Sixing my Project's Key Attribute

I had fallen in love with a particular attribute of project "Deep Butter" and around it was built a number of key relationships that were going to hopefully build an added revenue stream. However as I got closer to the launch date, my gut was telling me that the market segment that would take advantage of this had now moved its attention elsewhere. A number of subtle cues from our customers were telling me that this would not be a money maker after all and that if we pursued with the launch we would be loosing money instead of making money. But the structure I had built was so perfect in my mind and so carefully built that I had fallen in love with my business creature. Agile project management also means killing original ideas as much as creating them, but when it's my own original idea that I have to terminate, it is not a fun task. So I ate humble pie, talked it over with my wife (and ever so lovely business partner!) and come to a decision to stop and kill a key part of "Deep Butter" now before it developed any further.

However, as I write this, project "Deep Butter" has already re-oriented itself to supporting a new strategy for our business and now I am so glad I Deep Sixed it.

The Silver Bullet

Silver_bullet

The Silver Bullet.

Definition: creating an action or precipitating a deadline to force the revealing of the true “Next Action” needed, the unspoken restraint, or the name of the ultimate decision maker. This is sometimes necessary when projects are in complete paralysis and there is some as-yet unexplained reason why everyone is gone into zombie mode.

This is so effective it should be used with extreme caution; diplomatic options should be exhausted first.

Example: contractual deadline for installing PCs on the 3rd floor of location X is rapidly approaching, but you are only getting evasive answers as to when you can start. If contract specifies penalty for missing date, you might have to make a tactical decision to roll the trucks into that facility to force a reaction. The “silver bullet” might be that you inform the silent party that installation crew is arriving tomorrow at 12 noon and will start installing. The answer then comes back loud and clear that there has been a major corporate change and building is being sold and locks have already been changed on the doors. That’s the “silver bullet” finding its way to the truth.