🚨 Why Project Kickoffs Are Doomed
"With desolation is all the land made desolate: because no one considereth in the heart." — Jeremias 12:11 (Douay-Rheims)
And How You Can Avoid Disaster Before It Speaks
"With desolation is all the land made desolate: because no one considereth in his heart."
— Jeremias 12:11 (Douay-Rheims)
You walk into your kickoff meeting.
Smiles all around.
Slide decks, budget plans, maybe even a beautifully color-coded Gantt chart.
And if you’re paying attention, you already know:
This project is going to fail.
Not because it’s a bad idea.
Not because the team is incompetent.
But because the rot set in weeks ago—and no one had the courage to stop it.
🧨 Once You're Invited to Lead... It May Already Be Too Late
By the time you’re asked to “step in and lead,” the trap is often already sprung:
The scope was defined by committee, not clarity.
The timeline was promised during a sales pitch, not a real planning session.
Stakeholders have conflicting interpretations of what success looks like.
Engineers weren’t consulted, and the product team just nodded along.
Now they want you to “execute.”
Let me be clear:
You don’t execute a fantasy. You walk it into disaster.
🛡️ Project Managers Are the Last Line of Defense
You’re not here to decorate fiction.
You’re here to confront it.
Project managers are often treated like facilitators.
But if you’re any good, you’re also a prophet, a translator, and a moral compass.
"The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands."
— Job 22:30 (Douay-Rheims)
🔧 Three Ways to Break the Cycle
Here’s how I de-risk doomed kickoffs — with grit, clarity, and the occasional act of holy defiance.
1. Run the "Definition of Done" Drill
Ask every key stakeholder:
“What does success look like, in one sentence?”
Write the answers down. Compare them.
If they don’t match, don’t start.
"For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for the battle?"
— 1 Corinthians 14:8 (Douay-Rheims)
2. Push Back on Timelines Early — and Often
The timeline isn’t sacred. Your word is.
If the schedule is fiction, say so.
A delayed but delivered project beats an on-time corpse.
"He that is hasty to give credit, is light of heart and shall be lessened”
— Ecclesiasticus 19:4 (Douay-Rheims)
3. Speak Up. Now.
Silence is complicity.
Raise the flag. Document the risk. Offer alternatives.
You might not win the argument, but you’ll earn trust—and sleep at night.
"Say not, 'I have sinned, and what harm hath befallen me?' For the Most High is a patient rewarder."
— Ecclesiasticus 5:4 (Douay-Rheims)
🧭 Closing Thoughts
Most project kickoffs are doomed because no one asked the hard questions.
Your job isn’t to go along.
Your job is to stand firm—with patience, clarity, and clean hands.
You don’t need to be a hero.
But you do need to be honest.
Because once the rocket takes off, it’s a lot harder to change course.
Stay the course.
Speak the truth.
Make your IT projects successful once again.
— Mabro
Captain| Project Leader | Calm in Chaos | Founder of The Rocinante Method