Introduction
As project managers, we have often heard stories about our fellow project managers being set up to fail by sponsors, stakeholders, and senior management because of expectations that were out of line with what a project could actually deliver. How and why does this happen? There is no single correct answer, but there is plenty of blame to go around. It takes a thorough examination of the relationships and tendencies of project managers, business analysts, and stakeholders to uncover how perceptions can become misaligned with reality. The bottom line is that it is the job of the project manager to be the honest broker with the project sponsor as to what a project can realistically deliver. It is the job of the project sponsor to communicate those same realities to the senior management and executive audiences.
