Project Failure Files: Force-Fitting your Framework
In Episode 83 of the Project Failure Files weekly webcast, our focus was “Forcing Every Project Into One Box,” in which Sharon and I discuss the mistake of trying to force every project into a single methodology because it feels clean, familiar, or easy to defend. The problem is that frameworks are tools, not religions, and using the wrong one can turn “process” into friction. When the method becomes the goal, teams start optimizing for compliance to the system instead of outcomes for the business.
Our discussion breaks down what goes wrong when leaders treat methodology as a blanket solution: unnecessary ceremonies, bloated meetings, and rules that don’t match the work. Teams begin working around the process, hiding real progress behind performative artifacts, and losing time to context switching and governance theater. Over time, morale drops because high performers feel trapped doing “process work,” and leadership loses visibility because the system rewards looking busy more than delivering value.
Sharon and I explain that the fix is a practical, flexible approach: pick the minimum structure that reduces risk and increases clarity, then tune it as reality changes. That means defining project variables early (complexity, uncertainty, stakeholders, compliance), agreeing on what “good” looks like, and using feedback loops to adjust without shame. The goal is a hybrid mindset where teams can standardize the essentials (visibility, accountability, decision-making) while adapting everything else to fit the work.
Enjoy the episode!
Be sure to tune in next Monday, March 30th at 9am Pacific for the first of a 5-part mini-series with Project Failure Files where we’ll focus on leadership and management issues that arise because of the rapid growth of AI within the enterprise. In our next episode, we’ll discuss how organizations are rushing to layer AI on top of existing workflows, assuming intelligence will compensate for inefficiency. Hope you can join us on our NEW YouTube channel (please subscribe!) or find us on LinkedIn.
