The Overloaded Team Member
You lead a project team of eight people in a matrix organization. One team member, Anna, is a senior developer whose expertise is critical for the upcoming release. You notice that Anna has been working late for the past two weeks and has missed two team meetings. Her deliverables are still on track, but her communication has become terse, and she declined to help a colleague with a technical issue, which is unusual for her. In a private conversation, Anna reveals that she is overwhelmed because her functional manager has assigned her to another urgent project without consulting you. She feels she cannot say no and is considering taking sick leave. The release is two weeks away, and Anna’s work is on the critical path. The functional manager is known for prioritizing their own projects and has a history of ignoring project commitments.
1. Analyze the situation from a personal and social competence perspective. What are the key issues, and what actions should you take to support Anna and ensure project success?
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Key issues: 1) Role conflict and overload for Anna, leading to stress and potential burnout. 2) Lack of communication and coordination between project and functional management. 3) Risk to project delivery due to critical path dependency. Actions: 1) Empathize with Anna, acknowledge her situation, and assure her of support. 2) Discuss with Anna to prioritize tasks and explore if some work can be delegated or deferred. 3) Immediately contact the functional manager to negotiate Anna’s availability, emphasizing the criticality of her project work and the risks of overload. 4) If needed, escalate to the sponsor or HR to address the resource conflict. 5) Monitor Anna’s well-being and adjust workload. 6) Document the agreement and communicate to the team to maintain transparency. This demonstrates social awareness, conflict resolution, and leadership.
2. The functional manager refuses to release Anna and claims the other project is more important. How do you handle this escalation, and what competences do you demonstrate?
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Escalate to the project sponsor and possibly the functional manager’s superior, presenting a clear analysis of the impact on the project: delay of two weeks, potential cost overrun, and reputational risk. Propose a compromise: Anna dedicates 80% to the project for the next two weeks, and the other project is rescheduled or staffed with another resource. If no agreement, request a formal decision from the steering committee. Competences demonstrated: 1) Negotiation and persuasion. 2) Conflict resolution and escalation management. 3) Political awareness and stakeholder influence. 4) Leadership and decision-making. 5) Communication and assertiveness. This approach ensures project objectives are protected while maintaining professional relationships.