Getting a project into trouble is easy. Getting a project out of it requires smart, honest, and open management.

NASA has had its share of troubled projects over the years. Cost, schedule, and immature technologies are just a few of the usual suspects that bog down complex spaceflight projects. While the agency is good about documenting lessons from troubled projects, how do managers learn from them and avoid the trouble spots again? A four-member panel came together at PM Challenge to share insights about this perennial concern.

Mistake number one is underestimating the planning phase, said Steve Edwards, a 35-year veteran of Lockheed Martin who now leads Edwards Solutions. “I have never managed a project the way I planned it.”

Ray Lugo, Deputy Director of the Glenn Research Center, highlighted the role that morale can play in saving a project from a troubling road. Managers need to ask themselves, does my team think that they can get the job done? A team has to believe the job can get done, and this sense of confidence is fostered through project leadership.

Knowing how to find the problem is half the battle. “If you can’t find it, you can’t fix it,” said David Miles of the Consolidated Edison Company of New York. In the event that trouble is inherited, the panel agreed that asking lots of questions (even the basic ones) and getting the team involved is key to turning a project around.

Where there’s trouble, there is risk. Lugo noted the distinction between problems and risks. “You don’t get a risk in the system. You get a problem — and a problem is dealt with differently than a risk.” Problems are solved, while risks are managed, he noted.

“There’s no fully satisfactory solution to fixing a troubled project,” said Humbolt Mandell, a 40-year veteran of Johnson Space Center who is now a research fellow at the University of Texas. Ultimately, each problem is unique and while there are practices that will lead towards a solution, avoiding trouble with smart management and preparation is the best solution of all.