In development, what is the best way to manage delays? For example, you're doing a task, new requirements come in/something which further steepens the learning curve of something that must be learnt right there and then, and you need to communicate this to the PM/manager.
What is the most effective way of doing this?
Talk to them: face to face, person to person, as soon as you can. There's no better way.
The earlier the better.
Managers can take corrective actions when they are alerted as soon as possible, like hiring another guy for doing the job, or tell the customer that either the deadline or the perimeter has to be relaxed.
he PM - my manager - was absent/ill
I guess you could talk to your PM's boss about that, then, if you're not comfortable with the priorities which are being set/changed by your more senior team members.
If he's absent/ill then perhaps/hopefully someone else has temporarily taken over his duties: either his boss, or one of his subordinates.
