Context
I was assigned to run a project for the business side. The plan looked straightforward. Until you compared the numbers.
I was given three extremely senior consultants. The budget had been written for juniors. The timeline required the seniors. I was warned by colleagues: “Don’t let them make this your problem.”
The Drag
But they did. And I didn’t stay quiet.
I raised the flag early. I made the mismatch clear. I escalated through every proper channel.
But management didn’t move.
They acknowledged the issue, but left it unchanged.
The Twist
I tried to keep the project afloat anyway.
I managed the tension. I buffered the contradictions.
And when the numbers broke, the responsibility circled back to me.
The Outcome
I lost the role, and not long after, the job.
The Insight
You can do everything right. Document the risk. Escalate the problem. Stay transparent. And still carry the fallout.
Some systems assign responsibility without granting control.
If no one is willing to resolve the contradiction, it will collapse on the person closest to the work.