Nothing is impossible,’ they declare, with a disturbing lack of self-awareness. ‘No’ seems to have been surgically removed from their vocabulary. Courage? It’s reserved for everything except having those ‘hard commitment’ conversations with external stakeholders. Instead, we’re swimming in a sea of ‘100% guarantees’–– conveniently devoid of supporting data. Probabilistic forecasts? Too nuanced.

And naturally, teams are blissfully unaware of the commitments being made in their name. But vendors? They’re more than happy to promise the moon, and throw ‘resources’ at the problem when things inevitably go south.

Dare to ask, ‘What would be true for this to work?’ And watch the house of cards crumble. Suddenly, we’re discovering a host of ‘unplanned deliverables’ essential for reaping the supposed ‘value’. So, let’s be clear: now is not the time to start. It’s time to stop. Stop the empty promises, the blind commitments, and the vendor-fueled chaos. It’s time for a reality check and a healthy dose of ‘no’.