You have been tapped as project manager for your dream project and find yourself initially rebuffed by functional managers that are reluctant to release members of your "dream team" to help you work on the project

What are three alternatives you might choose from and which is most attractive?

The three alternatives that are available to a manager constitute fallback positions in the project life cycle. One alternative is to negotiate for partial assistance; if a full-time assignment is sought, perhaps the manager will relinquish the employee at one-quarter time. The advantage of this approach is that it secures an inroad into the employee's time that may be increased later. Another alternative is to adjust the project schedule and priorities accordingly. If the employee is not available full time, then it must be accepted that the project cannot proceed at the desired pace, or perhaps can be completed within the allotted time frame in some limited scope. The third alternative is to report the situation to top management and ask for their intervention or inform them of the dire consequences of this lack of skilled personnel.