Projects get stuck despite good planning
It has probably happened to you before: the project plan has been carefully drafted, the milestones are clear, and everyone is in agreement. Yet, over time, the project starts to run increasingly sluggishly . Decisions are postponed, coordination takes more and more time, and the sense of being in control… disappears.
👉 How is that possible? How can a project run late despite rock-solid planning?
⬇️ An example makes this clear ⬇️
An IT implementation is taking place at a medium-sized bank. The technical design is solid, the supplier is reliable, and there is a generous budget. Yet, the project is running behind schedule by over 4 months! The schedule is constantly being adjusted, but it doesn't solve anything.
Only after a thorough evaluation did the real cause surface. The two departments working on the project had a totally different vision of what the new system should do. This tension was palpable from day one, yet no one voiced it . The planning was therefore never the problem; it was the conflicting visions.
Unspoken expectations and conflicting visions are a common problem in projects that stall. Does such a faltering schedule mean absolutely nothing, then? Certainly not! It can absolutely be a signal that something is not right beneath the surface.
Why projects fail: the causes lie beneath the surface
Let's dive into that, what lies 'beneath the surface'. After all, if you look at why projects fail, you often encounter one of the reasons below. These are usually not found in the tool itself, but in daily operations.
These are the common causes of project failure ⬇️
❌ Unclear roles and expectations. Who makes the final decisions? Who maintains an overview? These questions often remain unanswered, until things go wrong.
❌ Implicit assumptions about responsibility. “Someone will take care of that” often boils down in practice to ➡️ no one takes care of it.
❌ Unspoken interests. Different stakeholders have different definitions of success, but that is not said out loud.
❌ Behavior that changes under pressure. On paper and in calm times, everything goes fine. But behavior changes 9 out of 10 times under time pressure or political tension.
And no, these factors are often not included in the project plan, precisely because they lie beneath the surface. But these same factors do determine whether the plan remains feasible.
⬇️ Yet another example ⬇️
A reorganization project within a healthcare institution clearly illustrates how friction can arise. Formally, the project consists of a steering committee, a project manager, and working groups. On paper, therefore, everything is clear. However, in practice, it turns out that the steering committee makes decisions that the working groups cannot implement because key departments are not represented. The project manager has no mandate to make decisions independently. As a result, working group members wait for direction that never comes.
So 👉 the project is stalled. Not due to a lack of planning, but due to unclear responsibilities that were never made explicit.
Collaboration in projects goes wrong (while people do want to)
Look, there’s bound to be the occasional stubborn person in the department who doesn't want to cooperate. But generally speaking, people are eager to collaborate and believe in the project. So that’s not where the problem lies. Things go wrong because there are different perspectives that aren't being put on the table.
⬇️ Collaboration goes wrong because ⬇️
Different disciplines view success differently. For IT, reliability counts; for marketing, it is speed; and for finance, costs. These perspectives clash, but are rarely put on the table.
❌ People optimize from their own roles. The lawyer wants legal certainty and the project manager wants progress. Both act professionally, but there is friction.
❌ No one explicitly owns the whole. Everyone is responsible for their part. No one feels responsible for the coherence.
Especially in the more complex projects, noise arises. All professionals work hard, but they do work at cross purposes. So even if you have a top team—think of the Dutch national football team with all those big names—things can still go wrong.
Adjusting is difficult; no one is "against." Because oh, how we would have loved to win the 2010 final against Spain... But the whole thing isn't moving; it just won't.
Consider a construction project. The architect delivers drawings according to the agreements. The contractor builds according to those drawings. The installer follows the specifications. Everyone does their job. Yet, technically, it doesn't fit together because no one handled the integrated coordination. The architect says: “I deliver designs, not construction supervision.” The contractor responds: “I build what is there; I am not a designer.” The installer then states: “I follow the specs; the rest is not my responsibility.” Uhh, well…
Everyone is right in their role. But meanwhile, the project is stalling from the ground up. 🤯
Behavior under pressure: the tipping point in many failed projects
The human brain is sensitive to pressure and tension. Although some people might say, "I work so well under stress," your brain probably disagrees. Your brain unconsciously classifies stress and pressure as "danger." As a result, you run a higher risk of your primal brain taking over.
The primitive brain makes different choices; it only looks at: where is the threat and where can I get something? As a result, you see that people's behavior changes under pressure. One person withdraws within their own area of expertise and takes less initiative outside their role. Whereas the other pulls everything toward themselves—the 'if-I-do-it-I-at least-know-it-will-go-right' type.
And look, this behavior is very human, but it does reinforce the causes of failing projects. What was initially a minor hiccup suddenly becomes a structural blockage.
Tinkering with the schedule won't solve the underlying problems. However tempting it may be sometimes. 😉
Getting a grip on projects doesn't start with replanning
Tight deadlines! Work harder! And guess what, let's create even more detailed reporting. That's often the first thing you see happen when a project gets stuck.
That can help temporarily, but rarely structurally. Getting a grip on projects requires something else: insight into how people collaborate, make decisions, and fulfill responsibility . Briefly summarized:
⬇️What does help to gain control ⬇️
Instead of focusing more on output, it helps to focus on:
🧩 Creating role clarity. Explicit conversations about who is responsible for what, who makes the decisions, and who coordinates. Not as an organizational chart, but as a living agreement.
🧩 State expectations. Different stakeholders have different interests. Name them before they clash, not afterwards.
🧩 Recognizing behavioral patterns. Which behavior works here? Which behavior worked in earlier phases but no longer works now? And what does this context require of us?
🧩 Organizing alignment. You don't need to hold more meetings; the art is to meet differently. Create space for what is really going on, not just what is on the agenda.
A shared language also helps to identify the causes of failed projects
In addition to these four points, there is something else that helps regain control of your project, namely speaking a common language to interpret what you see happening . An example of such a language is IPMA.
Topics such as leadership without formal power, dealing with complexity, behavior under pressure, or interest management in multi-stakeholder environments become tangible thanks to IPMA. This makes it easier to identify and discuss the causes of failing projects without assigning blame. It helps to say: “I recognize this pattern from the framework; can we talk about it?” instead of “You are doing it wrong.”
Lagant offers IPMA certification to help you master that language. And because you have the words to describe what is happening in the project, you can also turn it into a success together with your colleagues.
Learning to look at behavior and context
Speaking a common language is one thing. A second aspect we observe at Lagant is that many professionals experience increased control when they learn to look beyond planning and structure. As you have read, a project stalls 9 out of 10 times due to behavior and context. Our e-learnings and training courses help to recognize these patterns and make them open for discussion, precisely before projects get stuck.
Our e-learnings and training courses are geared towards your daily practice. Naturally, we guide you through the methodologies and processes, but this is always in service of the bigger picture: professional conduct. We help you with questions such as ⬇️
- How do you conduct conversations about role division?
- How do you make implicit expectations explicit?
- How do you recognize patterns that block projects?
- How do you adjust steering without pushing harder?
These skills make the difference between projects that stall and those that keep moving, even under pressure.
Would you like to know how we can help you or which certification best suits your current stage in your career? Send your question to us via ln.tnagal@ofni or call Patricia on +31 (0)85 050 9742.
