Five scripts you can use to handle Project Scope Creep
These scripts can be used to explain the scope of the project to clients.
It happens that you are in the middle of a project and feel overwhelmed by all the client requests. You feel like you are drowning and the whole project is sinking with you. This is known as project scope creep.
There’s good news in the midst your despair: You can stop it.
These feelings are usually caused by scope creep, a sneaky little bug. It’s something I’ve experienced many times. If you’re reading this article then I’m certain I’m not alone.
Today I will share five scripts I developed during my struggle with scope creep. They have proven to be very useful in explaining the situation to clients.
1. Keep alert starting day one
You must learn how to avoid scope creep .
As a project manager, scope creep is something I have to manage at all costs. As soon as a request is received, it requires me to say yes or not. This habit can be quite daunting at first.
Scope creep was a constant concern in my freelancing days. In fear of losing the client, I would take on a little extra work to keep my clients happy. This is a very dangerous game, I can assure you. If you try to manage dozens of small tasks, it will lead to an overload that can cause a huge headache.
This script will help you to respond to a client’s request no next time.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not able to add in that feature/component/service based on the scope of this project. Would you be willing to set up a time for us to discuss expanding the scope of our project and adjusting our budget to accommodate this feature? ”
2. Provide Logical Solutions for the Problem
Scope creep is rarely seen in large leaps. It’s the small requests that add up. Clients will continue to make requests until you say no. You can’t blame them. Who wouldn’t love to do as much work as possible for the money?
This is why project management is so important.
It may be that you say less than you would like if you are diligent. If you’re like me, you hate saying not.
Instead of refusing, I sometimes take a more circumspect approach to scope creep. This is how I approach scope creep:
“Our current agreement is for [current term] at [agreed price]. Based on what you shared, you would like to add [scope creep ]…]. I would be happy to do this for [new cost based upon additional request]. If that is not within your budget, we can stick with our original terms. ”
3. Always refer back to the project requirements
This requires defining project requirements at the beginning of your collaboration with your client. I have made the error of not clearly stating my project requirements. It’s a mistake that I make every time.
Each project begins with me clarifying the goals and objectives. This is the first planning stage. It saves me a lot of headache later.
It is important to balance my time, bandwidth, and resources with the project’s complexity. This allows me to define the functionality of particular deliverables. These deliverables are broken down into tasks or milestones.
This sets the expectations for what I will deliver on a project.
Scope creep is still a problem despite my best efforts to explain everything. Sometimes, clients will simply want to see the project requirements. Here is a script to help you with this scenario:
“I am happy that you are so enthusiastic about what I do that you want more. Your request goes beyond our original project requirements. These documents are attached to this email for your convenience. Do you want to discuss the possibility of expanding your budget or addressing project requirements? I would be delighted to meet you later in the week. ”
4. Create an approval process for scope change requests
As I mentioned before, I don’t like saying no. This made it difficult for me to be a professional in business. Sometimes, no was the only word I used throughout my day.
It made me feel pretty discouraged.
Then I realized that this was a decision I should not be under pressure to make. Actually, I shouldn’t feel any pressure. It’s my responsibility to manage the project as well as execute.
This is when I discovered the power of project scope management processes. It’s not something I use for all decisions. There are certain things that require no or yes. This system is used for larger requests. It works like a charm.
A client or client manager contacts me to request a change in scope. Instead of feeling pressure to make a yes decision or notdecision right away, I use this instead:
“Thanks for sharing your great idea. It’s easy to see why you would like to include it in the project. However, this type of project requires the approval of the sponsor. I will need to pitch this idea to him. Please shoot me an email back with the following information: the new capabilities/functionality, the business value of the change, and any consequences that could occur if we don’t make the change. ”
5. Protect yourself from Gold Plating
Gold plating is when you work on a project or task even though you have met all requirements. This is something I have done before and it works well. You shouldn’t go beyond the scope that you have discussed with your client.
Scope creep isn’t limited to clients. It can happen to you and me.
One time, I worked with a marketing team without a project manager. The team had to work together to get the job done on time. It quickly turned into a nightmare.
Gold plating was the most problematic of all issues. Developers made big promises that were not within the scope of the original project. The business ended up going downhill. Why? The extra time spent on gold plating meant that the project was not profitable.
You must show your team how to manage the project scope. Here is a quick script that you can use to stop a team member from getting into scope creep.
“Wow. You’ve clearly been hard at work. It’s a great thing to see your dedication to this project. This may sound silly, but please do not go beyond the call of duty. It is important to not go beyond the scope of our initial project requirements. (If you haven’t yet seen them, I have attached the document. Thank you again for your tireless efforts. You are a rockstar. ”
These are five scope creep scripts that you can use right now. This is an important aspect of our business as project managers, freelancers, and business owners.
