Explanation:
So you are on a giant multi deliverable project, but there are certain shared resources that do tasks that are common to all streams, say they create users, or allocate database space, or do training, etc etc
And you need these people to do their work on your deliverable right now!. your deliverable might be important to the senior management, it might even be absolutely critical to the project. Unfortunately, EVERYBODY feels exactly the same way about their part in the project. and here is where the purpose of this tip is. That even though you might have the backing to put pressure on the shared resources, does doing that actually help the project long term, because yes you have your stuff over the line, but have just screwed up other peoples work plan, added extra pressure, and done nothing to help in return for the help you have received.
As a delivery manager it’s your responsibility to ask, “what is in the way of doing my work now?”. And in return for them raising your priority, go and speak to the people whose work you have just overridden, make sure that they understand that things have moved and the reason for that. Otherwise you just make life harder for other people, you can see this in the way that “go to” people start to hide from you, as you bring nothing but trouble and don’t clean up after yourself.
This can be done really simply, just the phrase: “Tell me who is blocking this and I will go talk to them”, It makes all the difference to the person who you are asking help from.
Disclaimer: As always these posts are not aimed at anyone client or employer and are just my personal observations over a lifetime of dealing with both management and frontline associates.