Embracing My OCD: Follow Ups

Next up in the “embracing my OCD” series, I will discuss follow-ups. By definition, projects have many activities, milestones and deliverables which all have dates associated with them. Then we get action items, issues, risks and decisions which require dates as well. I spent a significant amount of time looking at these dates to make sure that things start on time and get completed on time. However, when someone misses a date my OCD kicks in and I am driven to follow up to see why it was missed and when it will be resolved.

To the person I am following up on, this may seem like a form of harassment or micro-management (I have been accused of both, as I suspect any solid Project Manager has). The interesting part of that accusation is that I am simply following up on a date that they told me they would complete. So I don’t see it as an issue of micro-management so much as an issue of expectations and commitment. If you told me it would be done Monday, and I am asking you now on Wednesday then you missed a commitment.

There are several benefits of following up

• Things don’t get lost. I find that sometimes if something isn’t on my list to be followed up on, it gets lost with all of the other activities
• People know you are watching and expecting completion which creates a sense of urgency as well as setting realistic expectations
• You get transparency into small misses which may be creating a trend for larger misses; this gives you time to take action

So, yes, I am neurotic about dates, commitments and expectations but I think this is the only way to deliver a project. I see projects like a game of basketball where you will by making all of the shots throughout the game and not just the last half-court shot to win the game.