Project Management Happy Hour

107 - Top Shelf Replay: The Closer - Avoiding Project Acceptance Exception

14 snips
Sep 2, 2025
This discussion dives into the challenges of closing projects, especially when stakeholders hesitate to provide approval. Insights reveal the importance of established processes and quality data for successful closures. The emotional journey of clients during project completion is explored, with an emphasis on clear communication and success criteria. Listeners learn about strategic techniques like 'soft handoffs' to enhance collaboration and prevent misunderstandings. The talk also touches on complexities in agile environments and the necessity of defined completion standards.
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ADVICE

Sell Continued Support Explicitly

  • Offer clients a clear path to buy more of your time if they want continued white-glove service.
  • Frame ongoing engagement as a paid change request to avoid scope creep for free.
ADVICE

Empower Stakeholders With Escalations

  • Empower stakeholders with SLAs and clear escalation paths to reduce separation anxiety.
  • Introduce the escalation contacts so customers feel supported after handoff.
ADVICE

Push Back On Moving Goalposts

  • Revisit original success criteria with leaders when goalposts move and propose calling a phase complete.
  • Hold the line and suggest new work be started as a separate project.
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