Scope Creep: When the Project Eats the Project Manager

A cartoon of a project manager being swallowed by a snake labeled Scope Creep

Welcome to the dark art of Scope Creep, where your project grows like a virus and eats its host. It's like the project manager's worst nightmare: a never-ending to-do list that just keeps getting longer and longer, until it's too late to say "no" to the feature creep.

Project scope grows exponentially, like a black hole sucking in everything in sight
Project managers start wearing a "I'd rather be on a desert island" expression
Team members start talking in hushed tones, like they're discussing a secret society
Meetings start to feel like a game of "scope-ception"

Lack of clear project definition (or a clear understanding of what "clear" means)
Unrelenting enthusiasm for "just one more thing"
Project managers who can't say no (or "no" is not in their vocabulary)
Team members who are allergic to the word "no"

Establish a clear project scope, and then immediately ignore it
Implement a "no" policy, with severe penalties for non-compliance
Fire anyone who says "just one more thing"

For more information on the art of scope creep, visit our sister site: Project Ambiguity

Scope Creep: When the Project Eats the Project Manager

Symptoms of Scope Creep

Causes of Scope Creep

Treatment Options