Is “Scope Creep” Causing Problems with Project Management?

Scope creep: Administrative professionals know those two words, and their implication, all too well.

You’re given a task or a longer-term project, and it just keeps growing. Maybe the aims keep changing. Maybe you’re spending far more time in communications and coordination than you’d planned. Maybe all of the task’s initial requirements were within your skillset, but new developments and responsibilities have you moving into unfamiliar territory.

Whatever the reason, scope creep can make it harder to complete a task or project on time, within the set budget and to the stated standard. Add that to the already-existing stress of taking on all those additional duties, and scope creep becomes a threat not just to your task or project, but to your career progression and your mental well-being as well.

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What can you do to head off scope creep? Having clearly defined (and written) expectations going in is a must, but even the best-laid plans can go off the rails when unforeseen circumstances happen. When they do, it’s best to raise the issue with your supervisor as quickly as possible.

If you’re fortunate enough to have an empathetic boss, that affords you a chance to talk about the effect that scope creep is having on you. Not everyone has that, though. That doesn’t mean your boss is a bad person. It means their personality is focused on the bottom line: in this case, completing the task or project within the parameters of time, cost and performance.

That’s where you must focus the discussion. Start by laying out where the scope creep is occurring and the effect it’s having on the project. Have facts and figures ready and at hand and be ready to offer your input and suggestions if they’re requested.

What should you avoid when discussing scope creep with your supervisor?

Whether your boss’ personality is more empathetic or more focused on the bottom line, it’s important to remember what not to do when talking with them about scope creep and its effects.

1. Don’t wait until things get bad to go to your boss. For lengthy tasks or projects, make sure you’re providing regular status updates and raising any concerns early. It’s better to try and prevent scope creep than to find yourself scrambling to deal with it. Remember to keep your discussions focused on the task or project at hand. Scope creep can derail discussions, too.
2. Don’t make the issue about your job description, even if there’s no language covering “additional duties as needed” or the fact that “responsibilities are subject to change.” Administrative professionals should expect a high degree of fluidity in requirements – and recognize that federal law allows employers to assign duties outside of a worker’s job description.
3. Don’t go to your boss to discuss scope creep when you’re angry, tempting though that might be. Anger can wreck your filters. Even in a workplace with a high degree of psychological safety, where employees are encouraged to speak their minds honestly, speaking in anger can turn a reasoned discussion into a confrontation.
4. Don’t waste time on blame games. The time to identify why things went wrong is after the problem is solved and the task or project has been completed.
5. Don’t throw the issue onto your boss and expect them to come up with a solution. That’s reverse delegation. There’s a reason you were assigned the project or task in the first place, and part of task and project management is dealing with obstacles. You don’t have to have the whole solution figured out, and your boss will obviously have the final word, but you want to show initiative and resilience here.

With clearly defined expectations, ongoing vigilance and early intervention, you can keep scope creep from derailing your projects, your progress and your peace of mind.
 

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