21 Despair

Despair is the loss of hope or confidence, a state of hopelessness. In project management, despair can be experienced when a project is poorly planned or is not proceeding according to plan and there seems to be no hope for improvement.

The Sin

In organizations with little project experience or immature project management practices, despair is common. The project manager can feel despair when faced with obviously unrealistic expectations or baselines on a project, or when a previous project manager planned the project poorly. Insufficient resources, lack of organizational attention, or reluctance to change conditions in a failing project (see failure) can also cause despair for a project manager.

It is all too easy for despair to lead to a “victim mind-set” on the part of the project manager. This outlook will inevitably infect the entire team and its efforts.

A Case of Despair

The goal of any project is to deliver a unique product, service, or result. New product development is an example of a project type that consistently falls prey to despair. I was involved in the startup of a new product (and company) that had a simple-sounding, two-part business plan: (1) develop the product and (2) market the product.

Little formal planning was devoted to the effort; the project essentially took the form of a near-obsessive “just do it” venture. The product development phase went pretty well, yielding a well-reviewed innovation with wide market potential. By the time the market launch was undertaken, though, almost no financial resources were left. As it became obvious that the product was not going to take off, and that the entire project was plagued by magical thinking, severe despair set in for the entire team.

In the end, the company failed, the employees left, the investment was lost, and thousands of dollars spent on the finished product were wasted. The owners of the company were so demoralized that they gave up on the entrepreneurial lifestyle (despite previous successful startups) and took jobs with other organizations.

Danger Signs

Despair is most destructive and costly during the execution, monitoring, and controlling stages of a project, when the disparity between the plan and performance can become so broad and obvious that all hope of success is lost. Expenditures are high and the potential loss of money, time, and reputation can overwhelm the project manager and the team. To head off despair before it takes an irreversible toll on the project, the project manager and team should watch out for:

Poorly thought-out justification or business cases

Lack of or inadequate project charter

Unrealistic goals and expectations

Insufficient project plans.

Solutions

To avoid reaching a point of despair in your project, always objectively assess any effort you are assigned to manage. It will help to document your concerns about shortcomings and present them in a professional manner to the organization’s decision-makers. If you envision a problem or barriers, offer written, rational alternatives to problem situations and recommend and defend your best options. And, of course, consistently apply project management best practices and provide leadership to the team—no matter the probable outcome.

Tips for Combating Despair

Do not lose sight of the basic principles of good planning even when project enthusiasm and morale are soaring.

Recognize the need to objectively examine a project early and be willing to recommend “pulling the plug” if the required resources are not available.

Accept the fact that some projects will fail—and that life and careers go on.