Surprise: Your Project Grew While You Were Away

READ TIME - 4 MINUTES

"Hope you had a great break! Quick update - I caught up with Jane (CIO) over the holidays. We've agreed to include the Policy Division's workflow in the new system. Shouldn't be a big deal to add this now. Can you update the change approach accordingly?

Thanks, Mark

Executive Sponsor, XYZ Change Program"

Amy stared at her screen, her coffee suddenly tasting very bitter.

The email thread that followed showed a series of enthusiastic messages between the Sponsor and CIO, casually expanding what was already a complex change program.

She glanced at the project poster still hanging on her wall from December - the one with the carefully negotiated scope, timeline, and resource plan. The one that had taken three months to get signed off. The one that definitely didn't include the Policy Division's notoriously complicated workflow.

"Happy freaking new year to me," she groaned, reaching for the emergency Tim Tams she kept in her desk.

If you've just discovered the change program has... expanded (because apparently scope creep doesn't take holidays), here are three ways to handle it without losing that post-vacation zen:

1. The "Impact Discovery Map"

Understanding the full picture of what's changed is crucial before you can develop your response strategy.

This systematic approach will help you avoid knee-jerk reactions and make sure no critical impacts are overlooked.

How to do it:

  • Create a visual timeline of scope changes and decisions made over the break

  • Map key stakeholders involved in each decision point

  • Document any formal commitments or promises made to business areas

  • Clearly identify what's now locked in versus what's still negotiable

  • Highlight information gaps that need investigation

Pro tip: Use a Miro board to make this collaborative - invite key team members to add their knowledge and insights.

2. The "Change Impact Analysis Session"

Bringing your change team together to thoroughly map the ripple effects of scope changes across the organisation.

The key is to look beyond the obvious first-level impacts to uncover the subtle but significant ways scope changes can affect your stakeholders, processes, and timelines.

How to do it:

  • Gather your core change team and subject matter experts

  • Use different coloured Post-its for different impact types (process, people, technology)

  • Place new scope items at the centre

  • Map out primary, secondary, and tertiary impacts

  • Create a timeline view: immediate impacts, 3 months out, 6 months out

  • Document all insights for your impact assessment

Pro tip: Structure the session to encourage open dialogue - sometimes the most significant impacts aren't the most obvious ones.

3. The "Executive Engagement Strategy"

This strategy helps decision-makers understand the full implications of scope changes and secure the necessary support.

Remember that executives often make decisions based on incomplete information - your role is to fill these gaps constructively, not critically.

How to do it:

  • Develop a clear comparison of the original versus the expanded scope

  • Create an implications summary covering resources, timeline, and risks

  • Prepare specific recommendations for each major challenge

  • Schedule focused discussions with key decision-makers

  • Have a clear "requirements vs resources" analysis ready

Pro tip: Frame your message around enabling project success rather than highlighting problems. Come with solutions, not just challenges.

Remember: you can handle this. After all, you just survived your aunt's opinion on your life choices at Christmas lunch.

Next Tuesday, we’re talking about what to do when you discover a change program double up. Don't miss it!

See you then,

Team EVER

PS: Someone pass this on to you? 

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Kate Byrne