No matter what you do, things can go wrong

Sergio, I understand what you are talking about.

I was just saying that bad things can happen during a project and as a PM nothing can be done to change them after the fact. Instead, how the team responds to adversity may be the larger factor in project success. Even a perfect team and plan can go out of control with just a push on a wrong direction.

Actually it's the best line of thinking to expect and prepare for things to go wrong, that is the basis of risk management, so yes we are in total disagreement on that one. As we grow up we learn by our mistakes and from things that go wrong, and hopefully mitigate/avoid/eliminate these events; this carries forward to the project management profession. If an asteroid hits the earth, yes it's not wrong because the universe isn't right or wrong, but if an astronaut was orbiting the earth and saw it destroyed by an asteroid, their first words might just be: "Houston, something went wrong...Houston?"

Things will always go wrong, that's what's right with life.

Anish,

If everything went has plan, who would need a PM. The first step is to identify risk and manage them, that is the proactive part.
Once something append that impact the project is act on it, that is the reactive part.

In the rare case where a project follow planning from start to finish you are lucky or you didn't see something!

Sorry if I did not understand your statement. English is not my native language. Is not correct to say "things go wrong is the basis of risk management". Not at all. Risk management is about "what if" not about "what if things go wrong". If to perform risk management your like of thinking is "what if things go wrong" then you will fail.

It is very rare that your are doing projects and nothing go wrong. Yes agree with other colleagues that term wrong has wide preceptions. A project in an ideal enviornment do'nt go wrong which not availble in real world

Actually it's the best line of thinking to expect and prepare for things to go wrong, that is the basis of risk management, so yes we are in total disagreement on that one. As we grow up we learn by our mistakes and from things that go wrong, and hopefully mitigate/avoid/eliminate these events; this carries forward to the project management profession. If an asteroid hits the earth, yes it's not wrong because the universe isn't right or wrong, but if an astronaut was orbiting the earth and saw it destroyed by an asteroid, their first words might just be: "Houston, something went wrong...Houston?"

You can avoid issues that can impact a project timeline by micro managing the team when you feel they are not providing a solid status on a deliverable. That will send a message to them to be more accountable and not just assuming they are on schedule.

Things still can go wrong, but a least you made an effort to mitigate the potential problem.