EP83 Scope creep and what to do when it isn't optional
Sun Jan 18 2026
What if everything you've been told about project scope creep is a lie—and the real skill isn't preventing it, but knowing which battles you can actually win?
Most project management advice treats scope creep like a disease that proper discipline can cure. Just write better requirements! Enforce tighter governance! Say no more often! But seasoned PMs know the truth: scope creep is inevitable—and sometimes, you don't get a choice about absorbing it.
In this brutally honest conversation, Dante Healy and John Byrne cut through the sanitised PM advice and talk about what scope creep actually looks like in transformation projects: the political forces that drive it, the "small changes" that kill your timeline, and the documentation that becomes your only defense when someone tries to throw you under the bus.
You'll hear war stories about:
• The consultant who escalated to HR when challenged on technical pushback
• The project that became a duct-tape patching exercise instead of a proper system rebuild
• The PM who delivered exactly what was requested—and still got blamed when the stakeholder changed their mind
But this isn't just complaint therapy. Dante and John break down the practical tactics that actually work:
• Why big scope changes are manageable but small ones are deadly (and how to handle both)
• The change management process that protects you without becoming bureaucracy
• When to push back, when to escalate, and when to just document and execute
• How to distinguish between "this is uncertainty" and "this is someone else's agenda"
• Why documentation isn't paranoia, but professional survival
The hard truth? Sometimes the person demanding scope changes signs your paycheck, and "just say no" isn't an option. Sometimes you're cleaning up after leaders who got promoted before the project went live. Sometimes managing scope creep really does come down to a "glorified cover-your-ass exercise."
But here's what they won't tell you in the PMP handbook: that's not failure. That's the job. And there are still ways to protect yourself, your team and your sanity ... even when the politics are stacked against you.
This episode is for project managers who are tired of being told they're doing it wrong when they're actually just doing it in the real world. If you've ever absorbed scope you knew would blow up the timeline, if you've ever been blamed for decisions you didn't make, if you've ever wondered whether you're just not cut out for this, this conversation will remind you: you're not broken. The system is. And here's how to survive it anyway.
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What if everything you've been told about project scope creep is a lie—and the real skill isn't preventing it, but knowing which battles you can actually win? Most project management advice treats scope creep like a disease that proper discipline can cure. Just write better requirements! Enforce tighter governance! Say no more often! But seasoned PMs know the truth: scope creep is inevitable—and sometimes, you don't get a choice about absorbing it. In this brutally honest conversation, Dante Healy and John Byrne cut through the sanitised PM advice and talk about what scope creep actually looks like in transformation projects: the political forces that drive it, the "small changes" that kill your timeline, and the documentation that becomes your only defense when someone tries to throw you under the bus. You'll hear war stories about: • The consultant who escalated to HR when challenged on technical pushback • The project that became a duct-tape patching exercise instead of a proper system rebuild • The PM who delivered exactly what was requested—and still got blamed when the stakeholder changed their mind But this isn't just complaint therapy. Dante and John break down the practical tactics that actually work: • Why big scope changes are manageable but small ones are deadly (and how to handle both) • The change management process that protects you without becoming bureaucracy • When to push back, when to escalate, and when to just document and execute • How to distinguish between "this is uncertainty" and "this is someone else's agenda" • Why documentation isn't paranoia, but professional survival The hard truth? Sometimes the person demanding scope changes signs your paycheck, and "just say no" isn't an option. Sometimes you're cleaning up after leaders who got promoted before the project went live. Sometimes managing scope creep really does come down to a "glorified cover-your-ass exercise." But here's what they won't tell you in the PMP handbook: that's not failure. That's the job. And there are still ways to protect yourself, your team and your sanity ... even when the politics are stacked against you. This episode is for project managers who are tired of being told they're doing it wrong when they're actually just doing it in the real world. If you've ever absorbed scope you knew would blow up the timeline, if you've ever been blamed for decisions you didn't make, if you've ever wondered whether you're just not cut out for this, this conversation will remind you: you're not broken. The system is. And here's how to survive it anyway. Links: Catch episodes and more here: https://businessbreaks.club/episodes Subscribe to our newsletter: https://share.businessbreaks.club/email