Sometimes projects don't go as planned. Unless you create the same product or service over and over, it often doesn't go as planned because there are just so many factors constantly at work.

But, even if you do create a repetitive solution, surprises enter the path that aren't the kind of surprise that delights a client or customer.

Juan Carlos, an experienced professional that is seeking professional development in project management, asked me a question about how I dealt with project recovery plans during my career.

For some reason, I had one specific project come to mind because I learned so much in the process of dealing with the difficulties of the project AND quite a few gaps beyond the project that needed to be addressed.

This was more of a reflection exercise than getting into specific details, but I can see how acknowledging the problems, committing to work on them, and then rolling up my sleeves and getting to work ultimately helped the project, the program, the contract, and my future self prepare to handle larger work challenges going forward.

I also recognized how important it was to point fingers only long enough to identify who or where a problem might be and get very quickly to "let's work this together." I've often found in that exercise, that some of those fingers get quickly bent back to point at me.