Confusion when an updated task is rejected

[Skip]

Scenario: A team member updates a task and then pushes
the Update All button. The Project manager then views the
updated task and Rejects it. An email goes to the team
member notifying him that it was rejected, but it remains
on his timesheet in "red" font. Indicator icons state
that the update was sent but not updated into the plan.

Question: What is the team member supposed to do? Chances
are he won't remember the original hours to set it back to
where it was. And he can't delete it. How does the team
member get it off the timesheet?

 

[Dale Howard]

Skip --

When a project manager rejects a task update from a team member, what is the
project manager's reason for doing so? Did the team member accidentally
"fat finger" a value (typed "22" when he meant to type "2")? Or was the
project manager not satisfied with the progress? For example, the team
member only worked 4 hours each day when the PM expected to see 8 hours each
day? If it is the former situation, the number can be retyped. If it is
the latter situation, then I would suggest that the PM and the team member
need to talk.

Frankly, if I were the project manager and I needed to reject a task, I
would reject it and immediately follow up with a phone call to the team
member to learn more about their situation. If the team member only worked
20 hours when I expected 40 hours of effort, I need to know why and how to
prevent this from happening in the future. It sounds like the PM has not
done this, and is leaving the team member in limbo, not knowing what is
needed to correct the task update. I realize you are asking for a software
solution to this problem, but frankly, I think it is a communication problem
between the PM and the team.

As far as fixing the task update, the team member should simply retype the
task update info to the best of their memory and resubmit it. Hope this
helps.