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Volume 7, Issue 35;   August 29, 2007: More Indicators of Scopemonging

More Indicators of Scopemonging

by

Scope creep á#8212â the tendency of some projects to expand their goals á#8212â is usually an unintended consequence of well-intentioned choices. But sometimes, it's part of a hidden agenda that some use to overcome budgetary and political obstacles.

Last time, we introduced scopemonging — the use of gradual, planned scope expansion for political ends or to overcome organizational obstacles. By first gaining approval for something reasonable and less ambitious, scopemongers manipulate the organization into attempting something that's unreasonable or overly ambitious.

Mars as seen by the Hubble Telescope

Mars as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. The announced plan for a manned mission to Mars could be an example of scopemonging by advocates of manned space exploration. Ask yourself how many of the indicators described in this article and the previous one are possibly present in this decision. Photo by D. Crisp and the WFPC2 Team of JPL/Caltech, courtesy U.S. NASA.

When the tactic is successful, scopemongers commandeer resources already committed elsewhere. They place the organization at risk, and their actions can result in severe stress and overwork for the people around them.

We examined several indicators of possible scopemonging last time. Here are a few more.

In for a penny, in for a pound
Sometimes, later in the project, the scopemonger asserts that we've committed such a high level of resources to the project already that we cannot "afford" to fail. Ironically, scope expansion itself often presents even greater threats to the organization than failure would. This mechanism is related to, if not driven by, the sunk cost effect and the sunk time effect.
To refute their arguments, focus on increased costs and on how scope expansion threatens the probability of success. If the scopemonger has used the same tactic in the past, point to that and ask, "When will this end?"
Bribery
There are always those who want to carry out tasks that aren't yet budgeted or that are inconsistent with the organizational mission. Perhaps they want to work with a new technology or try a novel strategy, or there might be a feature they've long wanted to add. Scopemongers sometimes bribe these people by advocating for these items as a means of winning allies within the project team.
If you suspect scopemonging, describe the bribery tactic to colleagues in advance of its use. Gain commitment to a united position opposing scope expansion by identifying bribery as a tool of scopemongers.
Flattery
Scopemongers also use flattery to elevate and manipulate the leading team members. They might say, "We want you to do this work, because frankly, we think you're the only ones up to the challenge."
Flattery is Scopemongers place the organization
at risk, and their actions can result
in severe stress and overwork
for the people around them
especially helpful when success requires beyond-the-call-of-duty effort by the people flattered. Flattery can distort judgment. It can make the flattered believe that the impossible is possible and that the unsuitable is suitable.
Migration patterns
Sometimes the organization successfully resists scope creep, and the scopemonger moves on, seeking a more vulnerable piece of the organization. Often, he or she then targets for acquisition the same resources previously targeted, now using a different project as a base.
In some ways, the scopemonger behaves like the mole in Whack-a-Mole. Defeat scopemongers in one place, and up they pop somewhere else, again trying to expand the scope of some project or other.

Because scopemongers can create stress and push people to the edge of burnout and beyond, they can harm the organization even when their tactics "succeed." The damage they do isn't always immediately apparent, but it is real and it is expensive. Go to top Top  Next issue: Divisive Debates and Virulent Victories  Next Issue

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More about scope creep

US Space Shuttle LaunchSome Causes of Scope Creep  [September 4, 2002]
When we suddenly realize that our project's scope has expanded far beyond its initial boundaries á#8212â when we have that how-did-we-ever-get-here feeling á#8212â we're experiencing the downside of scope creep. Preventing scope creep starts with understanding how it happens.

The spine of a human maleScopemonging: When Scope Creep Is Intentional  [August 22, 2007]
Scope creep is the tendency of some projects to expand their goals. Usually, we think of scope creep as an unintended consequence of a series of well-intentioned choices. But sometimes, it's much more than that.

President Harry S. Truman, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, meeting at Wake Island, 14 October 1950The Perils of Political Praise  [May 19, 2010]
Political Praise is any public statement, praising (most often) an individual, and including a characterization of the individual or the individual's deeds, and which spins or distorts in such a way that it advances the praiser's own political agenda, possibly at the expense of the one praised.

An F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter test aircraft AA-1 undergoes flight testing over Fort Worth, TexasThe Deck Chairs of the ``Em''Titanic``/Em'': Task Duration  [June 22, 2011]
Much of what we call ``Em''work``/Em'' is as futile and irrelevant as rearranging the deck chairs of the ``Em''Titanic``/Em''. We continue our exploration of futile and irrelevant work, this time emphasizing behaviors that extend task duration.

Portrait of Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810), Major General of the Continental Army during the American Revo|-|lu|-|tionary WarThe Deck Chairs of the ``Em''Titanic``/Em'': Strategy  [June 29, 2011]
Much of what we call ``Em''work``/Em'' is about as effective and relevant as rearranging the deck chairs of the ``Em''Titanic``/Em''. We continue our exploration of futile and irrelevant work, this time emphasizing behaviors related to strategy.

President Harry S. Truman, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, meeting at Wake Island, 14 October 1950Ground Level Sources of Scope Creep  [July 18, 2012]
We usually think of scope creep as having been induced by managerial decisions. And most often, it probably is. But most project team members á#8212â and others as well á#8212â can contribute to the problem.

A visual illusionScope Creep and the Planning Fallacy  [February 19, 2014]
Much is known about scope creep, but it nevertheless occurs with such alarming frequency that in some organizations, it's a certainty. Perhaps what keeps us from controlling it better is that its causes can't be addressed with management methodology. Its causes might be, in part, psychological.

Gachi Fernandez and Sergio Cortazzo, professional tango coupleScope Creep, Hot Hands, and the Illusion of Control  [February 26, 2014]
Despite our awareness of scope creep's dangerous effects on projects and other efforts, we seem unable to prevent it. Two cognitive biases á#8212â the "hot hand fallacy" and "the illusion of control" á#8212â might provide explanations.

The Great Wall of China near MutianyuScope Creep and Confirmation Bias  [March 12, 2014]
As we've seen, some cognitive biases can contribute to the incidence of scope creep in projects and other efforts. Confirmation bias, which causes us to prefer evidence that bolsters our preconceptions, is one of these.

A fictional tornado striking ManhattanOn Planning in Plan-Hostile Environments: I  [April 23, 2025]
In most organizations, most of the time, the plans we make run into little obstacles. When that happens, we find workarounds. We adapt. We flex. We innovate. But there are times when whatever fix we try, in whatever way we replan, we just can't make it work. We're working in a plan-hostile environment.

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