When "All of it by New Year" Meets the Data

Have you ever had the project stakeholders demand everything by a fixed date?

Tell them plainly — if you want every feature, the timeline will stretch. Don’t argue; Show the data.

When stakeholders insist, ask them to choose: accept a later date or reduce scope. In rational organizations the numbers win: teams deliver what’s prioritized.

Help the stakeholders scrutinize the plan, identify what truly must ship by the deadline, and gently defer the rest. It hurts to drop features, but real choices beat false promises.

Make the trade-offs visible, protect the team’s pace, and help builders focus on what delivers value by the deadline.

Discussion points for your team:

• Is the teams velocity/estimates data visible to the stakeholders?.
• Do the stakeholders own scope decisions?
• Is the team keeping their focus within the agreed scope?