The Early Warning Report™
Issue # 43 | An example of Ineffective Governance
EARLY WARNING SIGN
Governance meetings continue to occur, but important decisions are repeatedly deferred or left unresolved.
A governance forum should create clarity and direction. The warning sign appears when agendas become status updates, decisions are pushed to future meetings, or discussions end with “take it offline” instead of a clear outcome. Experienced project leaders learn to watch for this pattern because a meeting that provides visibility without decisions may indicate that the governance system is no longer performing its intended role.
WHAT IT USUALLY MEANS
Repeated decision delays often indicate that governance exists structurally but is not functioning operationally.
This may signal unclear decision authority, misaligned leaders, or governance participants who are unwilling or unable to make necessary trade-offs. The issue is not the complexity of the decision—it is the absence of a mechanism to move the project forward.
WHY IT MATTERS
When governance stops making decisions, the project begins making choices without guidance.
Teams move forward based on assumptions, risks remain unresolved, and different stakeholders may pursue conflicting priorities. Over time, uncertainty creates rework, delays, and loss of alignment with organizational goals.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE THIS WARNING
Review the purpose and decision-making role of the governance forum with its members.
Assess whether the right decision-makers are present and whether agenda items are framed for decisions rather than updates. Resetting expectations can help restore governance as a mechanism for direction and accountability.
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REFLECTION
Are your governance meetings creating decisions and direction, or are they primarily creating visibility into problems that remain unresolved?
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Until next week, keep watching for the warning signs.
— Andrew J Putnam, Author of Stop Project Killers