Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
You Don’t Say
The Top 10 things overheard on a failing software project — or 10 sure signs of impending project disaster.
[Ed. note: This article was originally published on chiefprojectofficer.com, which ProjectsAtWork.com recently acquired. Other Chief Project Officer content is also archived at our site.]
Legend has it that coaching great Vince Lombardi opened his first practice by saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” As project leaders, we should be reminded of this “back to the basics” approach as paying attention to the fundamentals so often determines the difference between success and failure. Ensure that your team knows and follows the basics of project management, and you should never hear these disastrous quotes.
10. “Project Plan? This project is too simple to spend time creating a project plan!”
Surprisingly, many managers believe a small project does not need a project plan to manage the workload. But the truth is, even the smallest efforts need some kind of plan so that everyone involved knows what is expected and when. It doesn’t have to be large or extremely detailed; it could even be a few dozen tasks or so. The point is to identify and communicate the tasks, dates and resources, to prevent a small project from becoming a big disaster.
9. “Since I didn’t hear …
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