Progress review: only approve what matters
Having every progress report approved exhausts the project manager and slows the team down. Sorting reports by buffer means only the ones that threaten the objective need a decision.
Week of November 9 to 13 · 18 reports
In many organizations, every progress entry waits for approval. The project manager spends Mondays clicking "approve", and the real problems get lost in the mass.
Three levels, based on the buffer
A well-planned task has a buffer: some margin between its planned finish and the moment it would block what follows. Each report can be sorted against that buffer:
- all good: the reported remaining work fits the plan;
- buffer used, forecast holds: there is a gap, but the margin absorbs it;
- buffer insufficient, objective at risk: a decision is needed.
Inform for the first two, approve the third
The project manager is informed of every report. They only approve those at the third level. In a typical week of our example, 18 reports come in: 14 all good, 3 with buffer used, and only one to approve, from Lola, who reports 8 hours remaining instead of 2 on the new site preparation.
A decision, not a check
Faced with this report, two answers are possible: approve the new remaining work and adjust the schedule, or ask for details. Either way, the discussion is about a real gap, at the moment it appears.
Key points
- everyone reports, but not everything needs approval;
- each task's buffer is the threshold;
- the project manager keeps their time for real decisions.