When Does Protecting a Project Become Hiding Its Problems?

Have you ever seen a project manager protect stakeholder confidence at the expense of telling the full story?

Project managers are often expected to maintain confidence, especially when projects encounter difficulties. But there can be a fine line between communicating problems constructively and softening information to avoid uncomfortable conversations. A project may remain officially green while the team privately knows that important commitments are becoming unrealistic. How do you maintain credibility without allowing optimism to turn into misleading reporting?