Subscripe Vol. 8 – Meeting the Deadline

Didiér Adams • December 26, 2025

Between 50% and 80% of IT change projects miss their initial go-live date. 
Most change leads know this, yet we still commit to tight project plans and fixed deadlines.


It’s no surprise: business stakeholders want to go live as soon as possible to create value for their internal or external customers. They push potential vendors to commit to specific dates, and vendors often say “yes” because they don’t want to lose the RFP.


As a change lead, your job is to balance ambition with realism.
Set a plan that’s too optimistic, and you’re almost guaranteed to disappoint; starting from sprint one. But spending endless time debating what’s “realistic” isn’t productive either. A slightly ambitious plan with early momentum usually beats a perfect plan that never gets agreed.


So here you are: you’ve aligned expectations, agreed on the timeline, and you’re ready to kick off your change project.


But how do you stay on track and actually increase your chances of going live on time?
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"Sub-SCRIBE" text, teal and white, over a dark blue background with teal semi-circles.
A graphic with text that advises setting a clear baseline and controlling it ruthlessly.