Why Experienced Project Managers Stop Believing in “Best Practice”
Source: Dev.to
The Limits of “Best Practice”
After a certain point in your career, “best practice” stops being reassuring.
Not because it’s wrong — but because it’s incomplete.
When Projects Fail
Most project failures I’ve been called into weren’t caused by a lack of frameworks. They failed because decision‑making collapsed under pressure.
- Governance existed on paper.
- Reporting was immaculate.
- The schedule looked convincing.
And yet — everyone knew the truth. The hard decisions were being avoided.
The Real Issue: Accountability
Real projects don’t fail because people don’t know what to do. They fail because accountability gets diluted across committees, dashboards, and optimism.
In high‑risk environments — infrastructure, live events, tourism, public‑facing assets — there is no hiding place. Something either works on day one, or it doesn’t.
Asking the Right Question
“What’s the framework?”
And start asking:
“Who is actually accountable for this decision — right now?”
Because delivery doesn’t respond to intention.
It responds to decisions.
Takeaway
The projects that succeed are rarely the most sophisticated.
They’re the ones where someone was willing to be uncomfortable early — so everyone else didn’t have to be later.
Ben Webb — Project Manager
AIPM Australian Project Manager of the Year (2022)