Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Lighten Up: Less Specification and More Collaboration
Mike Griffiths is an experienced project manager, author and consultant who works for PMI as a subject matter expert. Before joining PMI, Mike consulted and managed innovation and technology projects throughout Europe, North and South America for 30+ years. He was co-lead for the PMBOK Guide—Seventh Edition, lead for the Agile Practice Guide, and contributor to the PMI-ACP and PMP exam content outlines. Outside of PMI, Mike maintains the websites www.LeadingAnswers.com about leading teams and www.PMillustrated.com, which teaches project management for visual learners.
Managing projects is like riding a bike. When you first learn to ride a bike it is normal to grip the handlebars really tight and look at your hands or feet as you concentrate hard on the new “riding” task and try not to fall off.
But the problem with looking at your hands or feet while cycling is that you will not see the rock or pothole in the road ahead until it is too late and so, despite your best efforts, you will fall off. It is actually safer to relax, loosen your grip on the handlebars a little and look further up the road to spot obstacles in plenty of time to avoid them.
The same goes for project management, when we are new to the role it is normal to focus too closely on the project plans, progress against the plan, and budget consumed. We focus so much on these project management tasks that we fail to see the issues and risks (rocks and potholes) the project is headed toward until it is too late.
While plans, progress and budgets are all critical elements, we can bring more value to the project by releasing our obsession on these project metrics slightly and focusing more of our attention down the road to items like sponsor satisfaction and team morale. There is little point having a perfectly executed project plan and a full set of earned value metrics if the project gets cancelled or half the team quits.
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"Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow." - Oscar Wilde |