As an individual, I have always been fascinated by the world of filmmaking. One of my favourite directors is Guillermo del Toro, simply known as GDT amongst fans and colleagues. I truly respect his creativity and ability to merge genres that would seem impossible to blend. His works have a unique and imaginative feel to them, which is evident in his films like “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water”. Although I assumed we would be leaving New York, for my intro of GDT, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge his impact on the film industry.
I Honestly Thought We Would be Leaving New York by Now: An Expert GDT Perspective
As a Globally Distributed Team (GDT) expert, I have been a part of many different teams and projects over the years. One common theme that I have witnessed time and time again is the importance of communication and trust within the team.
For me, one particular project stands out as a prime example of this. We were working on a project based in New York, and the plan was to be there for six months. However, as is often the case with GDTs, things didn’t go exactly as planned.
The Initial Plan
The project we were working on was a software development project for a client based in New York. Our team was made up of individuals from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, and South America. We had a plan in place to work in New York for six months, with the aim of completing the project within that timeframe.
Our initial plan was to work in the client’s office in New York. However, due to budgetary constraints, the client asked us to work remotely instead. This was a significant change to our initial plan, but we adapted quickly to the new working arrangement.
The First Setback
A few weeks into the project, we encountered our first setback. We had been working on the software for several weeks, and progress was going well. However, we discovered a significant bug in the code that would require a significant amount of time to fix.
This was a setback for the project timeline. We estimated that it would take an additional three weeks to fix the bug, which would push the project completion date back by three weeks. We communicated this to the client, and they were unhappy with the delay, but they understood and agreed to the new timeline.
The Second Setback
As we approached the six-month mark, we encountered our second setback. New York was hit with a severe snowstorm, which caused significant disruptions to transportation and power in the city. We were unable to continue working on the project for several days due to the power outage.
This was a significant setback to the project timeline, as we had already extended the timeline by three weeks due to the first setback. We knew that the client would not be happy with the delay, but there was nothing we could do to speed up the process.
The Revised Plan
As the weeks went by, it became clear to us that we would not be able to complete the project within the original six-month timeframe. We had encountered two significant setbacks that had pushed the completion date back by several weeks.
We knew that we had to communicate this to the client as soon as possible, so we initiated a video call with them to discuss our progress. We explained the situation to them, highlighting the two setbacks that we had encountered and the new timeline that we estimated for completion.
To our surprise, the client was not upset with the delay. They appreciated our honesty and transparency, and they were happy that we had communicated the situation to them in a timely and professional manner.
The Importance of Communication and Trust
This project taught me a lot about the importance of communication and trust within a GDT. Despite the setbacks that we encountered, we were able to complete the project successfully because we had built a strong relationship with the client based on honesty and transparency.
We were upfront with them about the setbacks that we encountered and the new timeline for completion. We communicated with them regularly throughout the project, keeping them informed of our progress and any issues that we encountered.
This open and honest communication approach fostered trust between us and the client. They knew that they could rely on us to deliver the project to the best of our ability, even in the face of setbacks and unexpected challenges.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the project in New York taught me a lot about the importance of communication and trust within a GDT. Setbacks and unexpected challenges are inevitable in any project, but it is how you respond to them that matters.
By being honest and transparent with the client, we were able to build a strong relationship based on trust. This relationship allowed us to overcome the setbacks that we encountered and deliver the project successfully.
As a GDT expert, I would encourage all teams to adopt an open and honest communication approach. By doing so, you can build trust with your clients and work collaboratively to overcome any challenges that arise.
