Every project has a certain phenomenon that always fascinates me.
When things are going well, a whole crowd suddenly appears, eager to remind everyone how they had a decisive role in the success from the very beginning. Suddenly the table gets crowded, because everyone wants to be part of a story that smells like victory.
But when the indicators start turning red, the pace slows down, and the reports stop looking like a glossy investment fund brochure, the very same group strangely shrinks. Only a few remain. The rest quietly back out – some pretending they had doubts all along, others acting as if they were never involved in the first place.
And then the theater begins:
– Was this even in my scope?
– Who actually approved this?
– Oh, seriously, this had that kind of budget? I thought it was just a small pilot, nothing binding.
– I knew it would end like this.
And here’s the interesting part: we shouldn’t be surprised or upset. It’s completely natural.
It’s precisely in those moments, when a project stops shining, that the true team lineup is revealed – who people really are, both within the team and among stakeholders.
Because in the end, a project is not just spreadsheets, reports, and charts – it’s first and foremost people and their decisions.
It’s exactly when things start falling apart that you can see the difference between those who truly want to deliver something, and those who were only waiting for a photo op at the scoreboard.
That’s why every crisis, uncomfortable as it may be, is also an invaluable lesson. It shows who genuinely cares, who can take responsibility, and who disappears at the first gust of wind.
? In other words – difficulties in a project are the best loyalty and character test you can get for free.
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