Project Closure

Clo-sure: a bringing to an end; conclusion

As a project winds down, consultants and clients make that final push to wrap up every detail and stay on schedule. It's common, though, particularly on longer projects, for that last burst of activity to fall short, and so the scheduled end date slips.

In spite of superb planning, some projects will take longer than expected. But you want to avoid a sloppy ending--at all costs. The best, first step to a crisp project ending is to talk to the client about closure from the outset. And then repeat at regular intervals.

You can take simple steps to create a mindset of closure, like scheduling the wrap-up meeting at the beginning of the project, keeping the project end date front and center with the client, setting the stage for how the client will move forward once you are gone, and pushing back on requests to revise the schedule.

Consultants often tolerate delays at the end of projects for the sake of client goodwill and future business development. The attitude is laudable, but this type of flexibility can sap your profitability and convey a message that you don't know how to close out an assignment.

Clients place high value on consultants' skill in facilitating tough decisions. When tough calls linger, don't be surprised to observe tension in the client relationship. Even minor undecided issues can cause delays, so make sure they don't creep up on you at the end.

It's hard work to keep a project on track. Recognize that many schedule delays are subtle expressions of resistance to change. Once you become complicit in that resistance, you're part of the problem, not the solution.

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by a yard, life is hard;
by an inch, life is cinch.