Blew a fuse

[robaday]

Work for an NGO, largely love the job so good to have the opportunity to influence things (its not a huge organisation so on the business/corporate kinda side its still very much in development phase)

 

I try and get funding, through research, writing, and statistics. Barrier is, everyone here in the services (psychs, social workers, teachers, crisis shelter workers) wants the money.....but dont want to develop a program to get it.

 

NGO sector is developing rapidly - Gov/Coporates want outcomes, not fancy theoretical buzz words.

 

Essentially, yesterday a number of people hadnt provided me the budgets I needed to apply for a tender for $6 million....a huge amount of money. something i worked on 80 odd hours a week, for over a month. And after receiving the budget at 1 minute past the deadline, and the Tender org rejecting it for being late, I just blew a fuse at several very senior people.

 

While my project management skills were lacking they had two months to prepare the budget, Id even offered to do it myself but they wanted ownership which I respect-its their service they know better than me.

 

So, how can I improve this situation, Im a very calm person, but I ended up shouting down the phone and telling them to make the "fuxxxin" numbers up, I dont care what you put, seriously i have 5 minutes to submit this".....not good, i normally have a good relationship with them but i really lost it

[spiderowl]

Sorry to hear what happened. I can imagine how incredibly frustrating it must be. Some people will always be last minute.

 

I can make some suggestions but you may have already tried all these things:

 

- do a critical path analysis and build in time at each point for someone to fail to do their bit on time

- set artificial early deadlines so if people fail to meet them, it's not a disaster

- communicate well early on in very simple terms: say what you need them to do and by when

- tell them the consequences of them not acting in time - make it clear early on this is serious stuff

- make it as easy as possible for them by sending templates, checklists, or explanations for anything they may not understand

- assume people are very busy and will be skimming your instructions and requests, make them brief and clear

- set yourself deadlines to chase them up, well before the actual deadline

- if someone is really being difficult, try to understand why they are having difficulty doing what's required - sometimes people are trying to give you accurate information and can't get it themselves - tell them what they can do if this is not possible

- if someone you are dealing with doesn't have decision-making powers, go to their line manager for a decision

 

Best of luck - I think you've got a difficult job!

[2sure]

I think OP is asking not how he should have managed the project...but how to fix the blow up.

 

You have to apologize, explain your passion, and announce that you have already developed a new project plan . See the above posters suggestions. Be self depricating and then move quickly from that to the refocus. End with a thank you to the entire team.

[robaday]

Thanks for your suggestions I really appreciate it!

 

It came out of passion, and nothing else, it wasnt an attack on them, but a desperation to get funding, and I let it get to me. My own management of it also wasnt good. Im keen to maintain good relationships with everyone I work with in the org, and will do my best to own this, as well as apologise for blowing up!!

 

It wasnt cool, feel bad about it. BUT, just need to turn that passion into productive channels!

[2sure]

Yep . That's the word you use. Passion. Enthusiasm. Motivation skills.