Free resource
The Project Health Check: Five Warning Signs Your Project Is Drifting
A short, practical self-assessment for project sponsors and business owners. No sign-up required.
Self-assessment
For each sign, answer honestly: is this happening on your project?
1. Milestones keep moving for the same reasons
Is the plan being adjusted around a problem rather than solving it?
2. Reports describe activity, not progress
Can you say what has actually been completed and accepted?
3. Risks are logged but rarely closed
Does each significant risk have an owner and an agreed action?
4. Decisions keep being deferred
Are the same questions appearing on several agendas?
5. People describe the project differently
Would three team members give the same answer about the next milestone?
Questions for the project sponsor
- What would make this project no longer worth completing?
- Which decisions are currently waiting on me?
- What evidence am I receiving that progress is real?
- Who owns each critical dependency outside the core team?
Practical next steps
- Ask for a one-page view of completed work, upcoming milestones and decisions needed.
- Review the top five risks and confirm each has an owner and action date.
- Clear any decision that has been deferred more than once.
- If two or more signs are present, consider an independent review before the next milestone.