Expect the Unexpected: What to Do When Projects Don’t Go as Planned

Time for a hard truth: No matter how carefully you plan, projects almost never go exactly as expected. Timelines shift, budgets get adjusted, and new information often sends you back to the drawing board. It’s frustrating, sometimes overwhelming, but unexpected delays are something every project manager, marketer, or business owner know all too well.

The real question isn’t if your plan will change — it’s how you handle those changes when they inevitably come. Your ability to adapt is what separates projects that stall from those that succeed, even when the road gets bumpy.

If you’re juggling multiple priorities, whether running a nonprofit, managing marketing campaigns, or growing a small business, this rings especially true. So how do you keep things moving forward when plans go sideways?

Let’s Be Real, Plans Change All the Time

Here’s a little secret: Projects rarely follow a perfectly straight line. Launch date pushbacks,  unexpected feedback, and last-minute requests are all part of the game. And if you’re trying to make an impact with limited resources, like most nonprofits and small businesses, you’ve probably felt the pressure of managing those changes without losing momentum.

For example, imagine you’ve planned a social media campaign for weeks to raise awareness about a community event. Then, at the last minute, a partner organization asks you to include their new program in the messaging. Suddenly, you’re scrambling to tweak posts and update your schedule while trying to keep everything on track.

But it’s not just the work itself that can change unexpectedly. Things in your personal life can throw a wrench in your plans, too. Even within our own teams at TGL, unexpected personal events, shifting priorities, or getting sick at the worst possible time can affect how much gets done. Being flexible and honest about these changes makes it easier to adjust without losing momentum or burning out.

Changing plans isn’t a sign of failure or chaos; it’s part of the process. The real challenge is responding thoughtfully, keeping your team aligned, and maintaining forward motion despite the curveballs. And remember, you don’t have to figure out how to replan alone. Whether you have a team to lean on or not, there are plenty of tools and platforms designed to help you stay on top of your game.

Build Flexibility Into Your Process

One of the best ways to avoid feeling blindsided is to build flexibility into your project plan from the very start. This doesn’t mean being vague or unprepared; it equates to creating regular checkpoints where you can review progress, gather feedback, and adjust course as needed.

Try breaking your project into smaller chunks with clear deadlines for each phase. Schedule weekly or biweekly check-ins to see how things are tracking. This rhythm lets you catch problems early instead of scrambling at the last minute.

Using project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Notion can help keep everything visible to you and your team. Transparency reduces surprises and keeps everyone on the same page.

We’ve found that even when projects hit bumps, having these structures in place makes course corrections feel manageable instead of overwhelming.

Communication is Your Best Friend

When plans change, the biggest mistake is to clam up or try to push through quietly. Instead, lean into communication. Keep your team, partners, and stakeholders in the loop early and often.

Short, frequent updates are usually more effective than long, infrequent reports. Think quick check-ins, brief emails, or messages that clearly say what’s changed and what the next steps are.

It’s okay to acknowledge challenges upfront. Being honest builds trust and helps everyone collaborate on solutions instead of wasting energy guessing what’s happening behind the scenes. From our experience, teams that communicate well during changes don’t just survive — they often come out stronger. 

You’re Better at This Than You Think

Handling shifting project plans isn’t about being perfect; it’s about resilience and action. The fact that you’re reading this means you’re already thinking about how to stay steady when the unexpected hits, and that’s half the battle won.

The best project managers aren’t just planners, they’re doers. They translate shifting priorities into clear, actionable next steps and keep the wheels turning no matter what.

Plans will change. That’s a given. But how you prepare and respond makes all the difference. By expecting the unexpected, building flexibility, and keeping communication open, you can navigate changes without losing momentum … or your mind. And that’s the kind of project management skill that turns challenges into opportunities. 

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