It happens to the best of us, all the greatest plans and schedules cannot account for nor prevent the inevitable, getting sidetracked. This is a problem that affects all organizations, large and small, so no one is free from it’s attack. It is like a snowball that eventually causes an avalanche, often times it is dismissed as non issue, but as it grows (what I mean here is that more and more people on the team become sidetracked) suddenly you are in a position that is unfamiliar, it is not in line with your plan or schedule. How does it happen and better yet why does it happen?

It seems like it happens more so when there is a large team working together who do not report up throw the same chain of command and are geographically located around the country (or world in some cases). When the team becomes so big, it is virtually impossible for one person to keep track of everything, keeping a watchful eye on every aspect of the project. With this, distractions come in and out of the team at a flurried pace, and inevitably it affects some more so than others, and it compounds to create a problem of epic proportions. Small teams seem to have a better chance, as by virtue of their make up, everyone is able to keep an eye on each other and if someone is distracted it is clear very early on. With that being said, if it is not managed correctly, it will derail a small team as well.

So what do you do if your team is getting sidetracked? Panic, abort, throw your hands up and say there is no way to fix it and you are going to be late?