Management Expectations Are Centered Upon Headquarters With A Lack Of Attention To Local Needs

High management expectations are a leading cause of project failures. A project is more than the sum of its parts. Projects represent the culmination of a major effort in many different locations. Expectations are also often too vague to address in the project and so are ignored. In one company management thought that a new manufacturing method would revolutionize work around the world at 11 plants. However, in practice due to the varied activities of each plant, only 5 plants were ultimately affected by the project. The impact at these 5 was positive, but management viewed the project as a failure since there were no benefits at the other 6 plants!