1When I became project manager, the product launch was already six weeks behind schedule.
2The design team and the engineers were blaming each other instead of solving the problems.
3My first decision was to bring everyone together and agree on one realistic timeline.
4We listed every remaining task and gave each one an owner and a deadline.
5I asked the marketing department to delay the advertising campaign by two weeks.
6Every Friday we reviewed our progress and dealt with small issues before they grew.
7The biggest risk was the packaging, which still had not been approved by legal.
8I phoned the legal team every morning until they finally signed the documents off.
9In the end, we launched only one week late, which the directors considered a success.
10The experience taught me that honest communication matters more than any clever project tool.
11Now, before any launch, I always build extra time into the schedule for surprises.