According to the PMI, a hybrid approach is a combination of two or more project methodologies, such as waterfall and agile, to suit the needs of the project. A hybrid approach can offer flexibility, adaptability, and customer focus, while also maintaining some level of predictability, structure, and control. However, a hybrid approach can also pose some challenges, such as stakeholder resistance, misalignment, or confusion. Therefore, the project manager needs to address and remove any obstacles and blockers that may prevent the team from achieving their goals. Obstacles and blockers are issues or impediments that hinder or stop the team’s progress, such as lack of resources, unclear requirements, technical debt, conflicts, communication gaps, etc. The project manager should follow these steps to address and remove obstacles and blockers for the team:
Identify the obstacles and blockers by using various techniques, such as daily stand-up meetings, retrospectives, feedback sessions, surveys, etc.
Analyze the impact, root cause, and priority of the obstacles and blockers by using tools, such as issue logs, risk registers, impact analysis, root cause analysis, prioritization matrix, etc.
Develop and implement solutions to remove the obstacles and blockers by using methods, such as problem-solving, negotiation, escalation, delegation, collaboration, etc.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions by using measures, such as team velocity, customer satisfaction, quality metrics, etc.
Communicate and report the status and results of the solutions to the relevant stakeholders, such as the team, the sponsor, the customer, etc.
By addressing and removing obstacles and blockers for the team, the project manager can improve the project performance, as well as the team’s productivity, quality, morale, and collaboration.
The other options are not the best choices, because:
Asking stakeholders to communicate with the project manager and not directly with the team would create a communication bottleneck, reduce transparency, and increase the risk of misunderstanding or miscommunication.
Empowering the team members to remove obstacles and blockers would be a good practice, but it would not be sufficient without the project manager’s support, guidance, and intervention, especially if the obstacles and blockers are beyond the team’s authority or capability.
Adding blockers to the issue log and risk management plan would be a necessary step, but it would not be enough without taking action to resolve them. Simply documenting the blockers would not help the team to overcome them or improve their performance. References:
Hybrid Project Management: What is it, Methodology & Software - Teamhood
Agile, Traditional, and Hybrid Approaches to Project Success
Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers: How to Address and Remove Them
1.7. Address and remove impediments, obstacles, and blockers for the team - KnowledgeMap
1.7 Address and Remove Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers … - BrainBOK
