Last week I talked about the three types of scope creep that I review in my project management courses for scientists. This week I wanted to expand on Effort Creep – the uncontrolled increase in effort required to complete a project.
When I teach the course, I call this the just-one-more-weekend-and-the-project-will-be-back-on-track creep. But one weekend turns into two, which turns into three. Pretty soon working weekends is a way of life—as it is for many research scientists. We chalk it up to our passion for science and our curious personalities. As a writer as well, I know a lot of writers and artists feel this way too.
Despite the weekends, projects never seem to be any further ahead.
Effort creep often occurs when the initial project scope is not accurately determined and documented. This oversight may lead to changes, additional tasks, unforeseen complexities, and mistakes. And these in turn add to the effort required for completion.
I know many scientists don’t like to think of their science in terms of “projects.” Which is why we design a specialized course at our agency. It’s not only the scientists—creatives may want to think of their work as art rather than “projects.” But even the most curious scientist and the most daring artist can benefit from managing effort creep. Because controlling the creep on one project may lead to extra time for creative thinking and planning. And may result in even bigger, out-of-the-box ideas for future projects.
Keys to avoid effort creep:
1. Take the time to properly scope out the project—even if it is the type of project you’ve been doing for years.
Effort creep can impact timelines, budgets, and team (or your own) morale. This makes it essential to identify, mitigate, and manage the impact of effort creep throughout the project lifecycle. I have a water-quality project right now that came up suddenly. We’ve been scrambling to select lake sites across the region, select appropriate analyses, order supplies, and get ready for sampling in two weeks. The quick turn-around has led to a few mistakes on my part. If I had paused and scoped things out carefully on day one, those mistakes may have been avoided and eliminated the need for me to put in the extra time and effort to fix those errors.
2. Manage changes in project scope.
Implementing a change management process can prevent effort creep. All change requests, whether internal or external, should be assessed for their impact on the project's timeline, budget, and resources. By establishing a formalized process, each requested change can be evaluated against the defined project scope to make decisions about whether the change is necessary and feasible.
3. Manage stakeholder expectations.
Managing stakeholder expectations is key to avoiding effort creep. It is essential to clearly communicate the project's limitations, constraints, and risks to stakeholders from the outset. In my water-quality project example, I could have explained to our collaborators that the timeline was not feasible. But I figured if I put in a little more effort after hours … hello effort creep! … but even with the extra effort shipment of supplies were delayed. Leading to even more effort and time on my part to borrow supplies from a nearby lab to keep our schedule. By setting realistic expectations of what can and cannot be achieved within the project's parameters, the likelihood of effort creep can be reduced.
4. Manage your time to manage your effort.
I honestly think that most effort creep is a problem of time management, rather than actual increase in effort. If I wasn’t interrupted (or let myself be interrupted) by all the emails and phone calls and required trainings during the week, I would have the quiet and uninterrupted time to do the project planning and would be able to manage that effort creep.
So you really have to look deep and see why you are putting in effort beyond what was call for. Was the project mis-scoped? Did the needs of the stakeholders change? Are you scrolling through your email instead of focusing on the project?
By clearly defining project scope, conducting thorough planning, establishing a change management process, communicating effectively with stakeholders, managing stakeholder expectations, and prioritizing and managing time, you can prevent effort creep and ensure project success. Embracing these strategies will not only help deliver projects within scope but also contribute to stakeholder satisfaction and overall project quality.
Enjoy your weekend, whether you are working or not. I know some of you, like me, choose to work some weekends because the office or the lab provide the peace and quiet to work without weekday interruption. If that’s the case—TGIF!