When projects like innovation or process improvements don’t have an easy-to-define return on investment (ROI), here’s how to assess their worth:
- Stay Calm and Objective: Read the situation from a calm and objective perspective. Be fact-oriented, not emotional, to prevent things from getting worse.
- Communicate Early: Highlight issues when they first occur. Be open with the vendor about the issues at hand, citing specific missed deadlines, quality issues, or communication failures.
- Collaborate on Solutions: Cooperate and work together to come up with a solution. Request their opinion on how the problem can be solved, and come to an agreement on concise action steps, timelines, and roles.
- Document Everything: Keep written records of all communications, agreements, and action plans to avoid future misunderstandings.
- Escalate if Necessary: If the issue persists after your intervention, escalate it to higher management within the vendor's organization, always keeping a professional tone.
- Review the Relationship: Once resolved, determine if the vendor remains a good long-term partner and whether changes are necessary in the future.
By remaining calm, being open in communication, and cooperating, you can usually reverse a bad situation without making it worse.
