Course Four Readings

Question 1

p. 159 Air Cover

Answer 1

Support for and protection of a team in the face of out-of-scope requests or criticism from leadership.

This requires a trusting relationship between a project manager and their stakeholders. In this relationship, the project manager aims to demonstrate their abilities to lead a team and communicate effectively.

Question 2

Danger with providing air cover?

Answer 2

Sometimes a project manager provides air cover and the project team is still unable to deliver on the goals of the project. In this case, stakeholders may question the project manager’s ability to complete projects successfully.

when preparing to defend your team against out-of-scope requests, be sure that you are confident in your team’s progress toward the project goal.

Question 3

On an out of scope request: Saying “No” without explicitly saying “No”

Answer 3

• You can gently push back with a polite explanation that their request won’t be possible to complete under the current constraints—the scope, time, and/or cost—of the project.
• You can politely offer to get back to the stakeholder with your response. This gives you time to better understand the request and to consult with trusted team members to lay out the benefits and costs of this request.

And, if you are lucky, this might even give the stakeholder the opportunity to reconsider their request or forget about it entirely.
(THIS)

Question 4

Best practice for pushback when providing air cover?

Answer 4

it is crucial to offer alternative solutions. Maybe the project timeline can expand to accommodate the request. Or maybe you and your team have a strong relationship with another team at the organization that can help fulfill the request.

Whatever the alternative, brainstorming other options can help soften the blow and provide stakeholders with new ideas.

Question 5

Another way project managers provide air cover for their teams

Answer 5

master the challenge of delicately intervening from behind the scenes when a stakeholder is making unrealistic requests or offering unreasonable critiques.

Managing the expectations of your stakeholder while looping in relevant teammates on a need-to-know basis was essential here. This allowed your team to focus on their work without the possibility of an increased workload or an unnecessary distraction.

**consult with two team members instead of all.