Teachable moments #75 - When the Goal Post Keeps Shifting. Argh!
Jesmin Tan
9/15/20261 min read
Knowing the exact conversation to have when the client or management has gone off course mid-way of a major project, using the right words, at the right time, and how to reset alignment without making it personal or political.
Your aim should not be to win an argument; it should be to get the room back to a common version of reality before the project pays dearly.
Here’s how you can confront it in 4 steps:
1️⃣ Revisit the original project scope.
2️⃣ Be specific in describing what you see that is not aligned, they must be factual.
3️⃣ Clarify with question “Did anything change?”, this gives them a way out.
4️⃣ Be ready to offer next steps. If the scope has changed, say: "Great. Let me update the plan to reflect that and send it to you by end of day.” Flag any impact on timeline or resources. If your stakeholder has simply gone off track, say: "Good to know we are still aligned. I will send a recap to the group, so everyone is working from the same plan."
Either way, you are closing with action! You are not asking for permission. You are taking ownership. That is what leadership looks like when you do not have the title.
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