The same operations lead is needed for a project workshop and a major client delivery. Both plans show the person as available because neither owner has seen the other commitment. A resource conflict needs a business priority decision, supported by the consequences of the available options.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash.
Do not ask the shared person to solve an organisational conflict by privately agreeing to both dates. Make the collision visible to the people who can change the commitments.
Describe the real demand
For each competing request, record the role, named person if essential, work window, effort, flexibility and consequence of delay. Distinguish specialist judgement from work another prepared colleague could perform.
Check preparation and follow-up as well as meeting attendance. A person who can attend a session may still lack the time needed to make it useful.
Build a short collision note
Include:
The commitments that overlap and their owners.
Why the person or capability is needed.
Latest useful dates and genuine constraints.
Options to resequence, reduce, delegate or obtain support.
Consequence and uncertainty attached to each option.
Decision-maker and last responsible decision date.
Avoid assuming extra hours or replacement capacity. Confirm availability and suitability before presenting those as viable options.
A hypothetical priority decision
A service business needs its delivery lead to review a new operating process while a client deadline approaches. The team considers moving the review, splitting it into targeted sessions or preparing a deputy for part of the work.
The sponsor and operational authority agree which commitment takes precedence. The project manager updates the forecast and the operational lead confirms the revised client plan. Neither side retains the original date as a private expectation.
The choice may still have a cost. Making it explicit helps the business accept the consequence rather than leaving the shared person to absorb it.
Check whether the conflict is recurring
One collision may need a local decision. Repeated collisions suggest that project plans are being built without operational capacity. Review how availability is confirmed and how priorities change after approval.
Related guidance: small-team project planning guide.
Keep the shared resource view lightweight enough to maintain. If project delivery depends on people already committed elsewhere, Hili Consulting can help connect the plans and make resource trade-offs visible before dates are promised.
