What has been your largest project management issue from your most successful project?

I would suggest that the most complex issue to manage in projects that I have managed, being part of as well as being the client is expectations management. It is something that a project manager must be cognisant of, but is an issie borne of delivery.

I feel that wihout effective delivery tools and methodologies, clear and concise communication is not possible with regards to the expectations of the project stakeholders. Ambiguity exists in so many places in projects. Project managers need to ensure that the client (and the delivery resources) understand the project and the detail that they are agreeing to at the various project sign-off stages.

Only a project manager who understands the project deliverables and has the trust of the client and the delivery team can hope to be able to manage their expectations.

The first way to resolve this issue is to really work with the teams in the project, understand the deliverables as more than just work packages and facilitate success in a project, not just manage the work pacakge and try to obtain sign-off.

The second way is to use the right tools to manage people's expectations and to strike a balance between cost (effort, duration, complexity) and clairty of requirements.

Question Details:--------------------
What has been your largest project management issue from your most successful project?Please share what you believe to be the largest project management issue (positive or negative) you faced during what you believe to be your most important (successful or unsuccessful) project and how you resolved it.