OBSERVATIONS ON
COMPLEX CHANGE.
Direct, practical observations from 20+ years on the transformation frontline. No corporate jargon. No textbook theory.
WHY PROJECTS FAIL BEFORE THEY START
Most programmes that collapse in year two were doomed within their first forty-eight hours. The fatal flaws almost never live in execution; they live in the polite fictions accepted during initiation.
YOUR RAG STATUS IS NOT YOUR PROGRAMME
Why executive steering packs create an optical illusion of control, why "Green" reports suddenly turn "Red" overnight, and how to inspect ground truth instead.
THE PMO NOBODY NEEDS
When a PMO degenerates into slide collation and spreadsheet policing, it actively destroys delivery capacity. What a value-adding PMO actually looks like.
WHEN AGILE BECOMES CARGO CULT
Adopting standups, Jira tickets, and user stories without understanding architectural dependencies or organizational incentives isn't agility — it's superstition.
THE DANGER OF PRETENDING THE PLAN IS CERTAIN
A 2,000-line Gantt chart projected two years into the future is not a plan; it is comfort food for anxious executives. How to plan with honest uncertainty.
HOW TO RECOGNISE A PROGRAMME ALREADY IN TROUBLE
Six early warning indicators that emerge long before the budget burns out or the launch date slips: from meeting attendance to the language used in risk logs.
FIELD NOTES IN YOUR INBOX
Occasional notes on complex change, governance, and recovery. No spam, no marketing funnels.