Negotiating the Delivery – Glossary
Day 1: Delivery Discipline
Accountable vs Responsible (RACI)
Definition: Accountable owns the outcome and decision, Responsible does the work.
Why it matters: Projects drift when many are Responsible but nobody is Accountable.
Micro example: “PM is Responsible for coordination, Sponsor is Accountable for delivery outcome.”
Assumption
Definition: A belief treated as true without proof, used to plan work.
Why it matters: Hidden assumptions become surprise risks and late rework.
Micro example: “Assuming legal review will take 3 days.”
Buffer
Definition: Reserved time or capacity to absorb uncertainty and variation.
Why it matters: Buffers prevent panic decisions and last minute quality failures.
Micro example: “Two days buffer before shipment to handle rework.”
Cadence
Definition: The fixed rhythm of reviews, decisions, and updates.
Why it matters: Cadence exposes slippage early and keeps decisions moving.
Micro example: “Daily stand up, weekly governance, monthly steering.”
Constraint
Definition: A hard limit you cannot change, such as time, capacity, or policy.
Why it matters: Constraints define what is realistic and shape trade offs.
Micro example: “No production changes allowed during peak season.”
Decision owner
Definition: The person who has the authority to decide and accept the consequences.
Why it matters: Decisions stall when authority is unclear or spread across a group.
Micro example: “IT lead is decision owner for go live scope changes, not the steering committee.”
Delivery control system
Definition: The minimum set of rules, rhythms, and decisions that keeps delivery on track.
Why it matters: Without it, execution becomes reactive and accountability dissolves.
Micro example: “Weekly governance, clear milestones, named owners, and explicit escalation triggers.”
Dependency
Definition: An external input or action you need before you can complete your work.
Why it matters: Most delays come from unmanaged dependencies, not effort.
Micro example: “Go live depends on vendor API access approval.”
Escalation
Definition: A deliberate step up to a higher authority to unblock a decision.
Why it matters: Without escalation rules, issues linger until they become crises.
Micro example: “If PM cannot resolve in 48 hours, escalate to sponsor.”
Escalation path
Definition: The predefined route of who gets involved, in what order, and when.
Why it matters: It removes politics and prevents random escalation jumps.
Micro example: “PM to Function Head to Steering Sponsor.”
Governance meeting
Definition: A meeting where ownership, decisions, and risks are actively managed.
Why it matters: Governance is where control is applied, or silently lost.
Micro example: “Governance ends with decision log updates and assigned actions.”
Milestone
Definition: A verified checkpoint with a clear acceptance condition.
Why it matters: Milestones prevent fake progress and expose slippage early.
Micro example: “Milestone is ‘UAT passed’ not ‘UAT started’.”
Mitigation
Definition: A concrete action that reduces probability or impact of a risk.
Why it matters: Mitigation turns risk talk into executable control.
Micro example: “Dual source the component for the first 3 shipments.”
Non negotiable agenda items
Definition: Items that must be covered every time, regardless of pressure.
Why it matters: They protect critical topics from being crowded out.
Micro example: “Risks, dependencies, stuck decisions, and next milestones.”
Risk owner
Definition: The person accountable for monitoring and driving the response to a risk.
Why it matters: Risks without owners become background noise.
Micro example: “Operations lead owns the risk of site readiness.”
Risk statement
Definition: A clear sentence linking cause to impact on the project outcome.
Why it matters: Vague risks cannot be owned, mitigated, or escalated.
Micro example: “If supplier lead time slips by 2 weeks, we miss commissioning date.”
Trigger
Definition: A measurable signal that tells you to act or escalate.
Why it matters: Triggers prevent late reactions and blame cycles.
Micro example: “Escalate if a milestone slips by 5 working days.”
Day 2: People Leverage
Assertive vs aggressive
Definition: Assertive is clear and respectful, aggressive is forceful and personal.
Why it matters: You need firmness without escalating conflict or shutting people down.
Micro example: “Assertive: ‘I need a decision by Friday.’ Aggressive: ‘You always delay.’”
Boundary statement
Definition: A clear line that defines what you will do, and what you will not.
Why it matters: Boundaries stop scope creep and silent over commitment.
Micro example: “We can accelerate by 2 weeks only if we remove feature X.”
Commitment statement
Definition: A specific promise with owner and deadline, stated out loud.
Why it matters: Execution moves on commitments, not intentions or updates.
Micro example: “I will send the revised plan by Tuesday 16:00.”
GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward)
Definition: A simple structure for problem solving conversations.
Why it matters: It avoids circular debate and forces a next step.
Micro example: “Goal: unblock decision. Reality: stuck in legal. Options: pre approve clauses. Way forward: owner and date.”
Mentoring vs coaching
Definition: Mentoring gives guidance from experience, coaching draws answers from the person.
Why it matters: Leaders must choose the right mode to build capability and ownership.
Micro example: “Mentoring: ‘Here is the pattern.’ Coaching: ‘What options do you see?’”
Ownership language
Definition: Words that assign responsibility explicitly to a named owner.
Why it matters: Vague language hides accountability and delays action.
Micro example: “Anna approves scope changes” instead of “Scope will be approved.”
People leverage
Definition: Using roles, authority, and relationships to unblock progress.
Why it matters: Many blocks are human and political, not technical.
Micro example: “Bring the functional head to reset priority with their team.”