Change with Confidence: Answers to the 50 Biggest Questions that Keep Change Leaders Up at Night

Chapter 41

How Do I Communicate a Delay in the Project?

Fear and uncertainty thrive on incomplete information.

—John McCoy

Communication around project delays is generally very sensitive. Colleagues may have heard of the problem and the credibility of the team rests on how messages align with what people already unofficially know. People want to know two things: how severe the problem is, and what is being done to correct it—and they will be suspicious if the delay is positioned as a minor setback when something major has gone wrong. Also, colleagues and the leadership team will raise questions about how the project is being managed if an action plan (including who will do what) is not quickly and clearly communicated.

Delays are best discussed ...