In digital learning projects, collaboration is everything. Subject matter experts, instructional designers, multimedia specialists, and developers all play critical roles in bringing the final product to life. But there’s one role that often determines whether the project succeeds smoothly or collapses into frustration: the project manager.
Unfortunately, not all project managers pull their weight. And when they don’t, the team—and the hired specialists—pay the price.
Where Project Managers Fail Their Teams
- Shifting the Goalposts
Instead of setting clear expectations and milestones, some project managers allow the client to keep changing requirements. What starts as a small revision quickly snowballs into “just one more” round of feedback. With no one to hold the line, the project spirals into endless cycles of rework. - Undervaluing Expertise
One of the most damaging patterns is when organizations hire experts at below-market rates but still expect top-tier results. It signals that expertise is not properly valued, yet the demands continue to escalate. For seasoned specialists, this creates an impossible environment: producing gold on a bronze budget. - Failing to Protect Resources
A good project manager knows when a team has hit the limit of its time, budget, and energy. A poor one stays silent, leaving the service provider to absorb the cost. Instead of stepping in to say, “resources are depleted, this is what we contracted for,” they allow the client to keep extracting more. - Never-Ending Feedback Loops
Constructive feedback is part of any creative process. But endless, unfocused feedback is toxic. When feedback comes in bits and pieces over weeks or months—without consolidation, prioritization, or closure—it destroys efficiency and morale.
A Case in Point
I would rank this as one of my worst experiences, but instead, let’s call it an earlier, formative one. I agreed to work on an eLearning course with a large development bank, hoping it would lead to more opportunities. You’d expect such an institution to respect scope, budget, and expertise, which are vital for any project’s success. Unfortunately, this project turned into a cautionary tale for me. I had worked with their team before, and the former team lead had been professional and communicated clearly. However, he was no longer in charge; he referred me to a new project manager who lacked his skills. That was my first blind spot. All PMs are not created equally – even if they are trained by good PMs. This experience taught me how much leadership styles and experiences can influence project outcomes.
- Industry rates were overlooked, causing discrepancies in financial assessments and impacting budgeting decisions.
- Each milestone was followed by more revisions that seemed to go on forever, making us doubt if we would ever achieve the desired outcome.
- Continuous feedback loops, two-hour long meetings led to repetitive thoughts and actions that felt unbreakable.
- The project manager remained silent, hoping that it meant our consent and never raising the issue of resources, which led to uncertainty within the team and created a sense of tension that lingered throughout the project.
- The team struggled as unnecessary expectations grew, leaving everyone wondering when guidance would come. Was there a pot of gold somewhere that we just didn’t know about?
The result was a draining, demoralizing experience that benefitted no one.
Taking Back Control
That experience taught me something critical: service providers can’t rely on project managers to safeguard our time, energy, or expertise. We have to become our own project managers.
That means:
- Setting firm boundaries at the start of every project — defining exactly what’s included, what’s excluded, and how additional requests will be handled.
- Documenting everything — logging the time, date, and duration of every call, meeting, or touchpoint. This creates a clear record of where resources are going.
- Invoicing unplanned meetings — if a client pulls you into an unscheduled discussion, it’s not “just a quick chat.” It’s time, and time is a resource.
- Sticking to scope — being clear and consistent about what’s in scope and what’s not, and redirecting off-track requests back to the agreed framework.
- Communicating when resources are depleted — saying, without hesitation, “this is the limit of what was contracted for; more work requires more resources.”
- Refusing to play the moving-goalpost game — making sure that once you’ve scored (delivered to the agreed standard), the rules aren’t rewritten to extract more.
Here’s how that gets translated for anyone trying to work with me. To ensure smooth delivery and to protect the integrity of my work, I prefer if we follow clear project management practices. These standards safeguard your investment, respect our expertise, and keep projects moving forward without unnecessary delays.
No Moving Goalposts
Once a milestone is delivered and approved, it is considered complete. We don’t re-open finished work unless it’s a documented change request.
Clear Boundaries from Day One
At the start of every project, we define what’s included, what’s excluded, and how additional requests will be handled. This ensures expectations are transparent.
Documented Communication
Every meeting, call, and touchpoint is logged with its date, duration, and outcomes. This keeps both sides accountable and prevents confusion.
Planned vs. Unplanned Meetings
Scheduled meetings are built into the project plan. Unplanned meetings, however, consume additional resources and will be invoiced accordingly.
Strict Scope Alignment
We stay on track by working to the agreed scope. Any off-track requests are redirected into a structured change process.
Transparent Resource Limits
If contracted resources are exhausted, we communicate clearly. Additional requests are possible, but they require an adjustment of resources and budget.
Final Thoughts
Being “organic” in approach does not mean being naïve. Specialists in this field are not doormats. Their value grows year after year — not because they are chasing clients, but because they are deeply invested in their craft and consistently refining their expertise. Passion for the work is real, but passion should never be confused with permission to disrespect or exploit resources.
People are more than a job title or a project. Their worth cannot be dictated by an agency’s failure to manage scope or by endless demands disguised as collaboration.
And for all the glossy frameworks and bestsellers on “agile management,” here’s the truth: agile does not mean spineless. Agile does not mean morphing into whatever a client demands at any given moment. Real agility requires a spine. It means setting boundaries, protecting resources, and adapting intelligently — not becoming a shapeshifter at the mercy of poor management.
This is the standard that sustains good work, fair partnerships, and lasting respect in the industry.