The Project Manager
Critical Path Keeper
“My launch slipped a week and the team is deflated. What do I do?”
First, rebaseline out loud. The old date is dead, and pretending otherwise keeps everyone deflated. Find what actually moved the critical path. Is that a one-off issue or a risk that will bite again? Log it in the RAID with an owner. Then set the new date with the team, not at them, and put the next milestone close enough to land this week so they bank a win.
Send one honest status: amber, new date, cause, what changed. Deflation grows in fog. End by playing the actions back: who owns what, by when.
Sample response from this soul.