A handbook for when nobody knows what they’re doing anymore (edition for advanced confused life forms)
In the universe we know, there are only a few things one can absolutely rely on: the speed of light, gravity – and those moments in project life when it suddenly becomes clear that no one, absolutely no one, knows what is happening. This is where the fundamental law of management applies: the more one plans, the greater the proportion of the unplanned.
One might think that uncertainties are mistakes, incompetence, and inaccuracies that are shamelessly exploited by reality and Jira ticket jungles. In fact, however, these ambiguities are the natural habitat of projects. Uncertainties are the space-time continuum in which the project spaceship moves. If one tried to eliminate them, the project would disappear along with them—like a hamster trying to escape its wheel by unscrewing it.
But this already gives us a clue: uncertainty is not the enemy. It is a silent partner with an amazing, if sometimes morbid, sense of humor.
Chapter 1: The Big Bang of Progress
In many projects, there is that one magical moment when one realizes that the beautiful order one had so carefully laid out beforehand is not working.
Certain economists, being the dramatic enthusiasts that they are, soberly refer to what must happen next as “creative destruction.”
Because sometimes, something new can only come into being when the old is laid to waste…
To create something new, one has to let go of the old first. This includes, for example, routines, checklists, and Excel templates that no one has understood since version three.
Such a radical change may initially feel like a massive loss of control – but in reality, it only marks the moment when new opportunities arise; destruction breeds productivity, and creativity accrues from the shattering of routine. Uncertainty forces movement, and movement is the prerequisite for everything that later blossoms into innovation.
Chapter 2: The Case of the Missing Conception Phase (or: The Illusion of Planning)
Planning is an attempt to tame chaos via the use of spreadsheets. It serves its purpose by providing orientation, structure, and psychological support. Projects often begin with the comforting idea that one knows where to go and how to handle every single thing. One draws up neat bar charts and tidy Gantt diagrams to call them a “roadmap” – all precise enough to instill confidence, but flexible enough to become obsolete by week three at the latest.
Plans are to reality what a weather report is to space: formally correct, but irrelevant as soon as one leaves orbit. One should always be aware that planning cannot protect from surprises. It is merely a compass, but it does not map the terrain itself. And while one is still trying to find one’s bearings, someone else has paved the road. However, one should keep in mind that without a compass, without a “roadmap,” one will not only wander around in unknown territory, but also in the fog. Our planning concept serves as a beacon on the uneven path through the rugged terrain, revealing mistakes and guiding decisions.
Chapter 3: Gravity of Responsibility and Leadership Cosmos
When nothing is clear, something amazing happens: people start to act on their own initiative. Not because they have to, not because they want to, but because the vacuum that has been created would otherwise swallow everything up. Uncertainty activates a form of gravity: it attracts action.
Or, as some team member said somewhere before accidentally inventing project management: “I was waiting for someone to tell me what to do. Then I realized that someone had to be me.”
Uncertainty acts like a filter: it separates the passengers from the co-pilots. Those who move change the system. Those who stand still are moved by it. Just as stars are formed when dust comes under pressure, leadership emerges out of pure necessity.
Leadership is a strange phenomenon. It is often only noticed when it is missing. In moments when contracts are silent and responsibilities mistrust each other, leadership suddenly appears – not because someone has ordered it, but because it is needed.
It means bringing structure when others would rather keep arguing; it means straightening your shoulders, rolling up your sleeves, and being the first person to get the ball rolling, even when everyone else is still in their slippers. Remember: leadership is neither a title nor a right. It does not arise from hierarchy, but from action. It is a spontaneous service to the situation.
Chapter 4: Productive Unrest – Pure Doubt Breeds Energy
Projects love security: plans, contracts, checklists. But paradoxically, it is precisely this security that paralyzes progress. Where there is movement, friction arises – and where there is friction, someone very soon cries “conflict!” (or, as some like to call it: communication with increased tension). In projects, this is often seen as an error message, but in fact, it is a vital sign.
Arguments are often the prelude to insight. Conflicts are normal, inevitable, and – if handled well – extremely useful. They have the charming habit of highlighting gaps in order that were previously considered decoration. They force everyone to make their interests visible and prevent collective politeness from turning into general stagnation. When sparks fly, it becomes painfully apparent that processes are missing, documentation is outdated, and communication turns out to be a myth.
Uncertainties jam, hiss, bend, or break. They irritate, force decisions, and generate energy. Which is precisely the kind of energy needed to create something new. By redefining structures, clarifying roles, and creating transparency, uncertainty is transformed into clarity—not because it disappears, but because it is understood.
A well done project is not one in which everything was planned.
It is one in which you are wiser after the unplanned.
Chapter 5: Structure – Order Born from Dust and Data
People rarely learn when everything goes smoothly. Learning happens when someone says “Oops” and then figures out why. In the galaxy of complicated projects, this is called “lessons learned,” which usually means, “At least now we know how not to do it.”
Uncertainty forces us to think, and thinking is an underrated management skill.
When one starts to create order, the fog lifts and the project begins to take form. Chaos is molded into shape.
Now it almost looks as if it had all been intentional from the start…
Uncertainty is the coach that keeps the project universe in motion. One does not have to like it – but one should listen to it. Those who not only manage it, but use it cleverly, create a culture in which trust, flexibility, and dialogue become real strengths. The universe may be unpredictable, but that’s its way of telling us that there is room to grow.
Uncertainty is the fuel that actually makes the project spaceship take off.
