Will 1+2 ever equal 100?

Will 1+2 ever equal 100? 🤔

Will a project that’s been mis-sold – under-estimated, over-promised, poorly scoped, managed and governed, with leadership from all parties unwilling to have difficult conversations … get over the finish line without any blood, guts and brain splattered everywhere?*

There exist very ‘optimistic’ project people who think that with a lot of good luck 🍀, and “wind at our backs” 🌬⛵ along with outstandingly capable people and a healthy amount of prayer 🙏🏻🙏🏻… the answer is “Yes”.

😱 Whaaaat??

Those of us who have been around long enough can see a project that’s like a slo-mo car crash in motion and it doesn’t matter if you try to add new wings to that doomed car, or throw F1 drivers at it… it’s heading for an almighty crash sooner or later.

You know why?
Because of failure at the leadership level.

I’ve seen projects whose trajectory is aimed directly at legal proceedings because of poor governance and leadership.

And the ones who suffer the most are those on the project team, usually on the consulting side. They’re being told to work all hours, sacrificing mental, physical and emotional health, time with family and doing so much damage that it may take years to recover, if at all. 🤕

Poor leadership causes soul damage, and they don’t really care because they aren’t in the trenches, pushing through and gritting it out every day.

It may feel prestigious working for a BigCompany, but 20, 30, 50 years from now, the only people who’ll remember how hard you worked and how much you sacrificed will be your family – who may or may not be there when you’re old, crumbly and broken.

Those of us who survive the consulting world have so many scars (visible and invisible) that tells the story of the damage we’ve survived.
And then there are those who don’t survive.
They spend years trying to heal, trying to understand what happened.

If you see yourself in this story, you have 3 choices:

1. Do nothing
2. Change the situation, or
3. Exit the situation.

Most people do (1) because they don’t have the capacity, influence or authority to do (2).

I’d suggest putting together a plan B and get ready to hit that eject button once your ducks are in a row … before the crash.

I’ve seen too many car crashes where the signs were already there miles and miles before the tipping point. And I know that 1+2=3, no matter how many prayers or bodies you throw at the fire. 👩🏻‍🚒🧯🔥

Right, I better wind up this post of mangled metaphors before anyone throws a punch at me 😁

Do you work with a partner that seems to be in multiple car crashes, all the time? 🚗💣

Or do you work with one where the #leadership cares about their people and about doing great work? 🌞🌈🌻

Either way, I want to hear from you.
Comment below, or slide into my DMs. 😁
I’d love to hear your story.

#OnThePeiroll
#HorrorProjects
#ProjectManagement

* gosh that was more visceral than I intended, but the graphical illustration feels apt!!