MANAGEMENT’S:

• Corporate culture (ask many; at all levels; unwritten rules.)
• Embarrassed.
• May be defensive (self-preservation) about answering questions and having their judgement questioned. Could possibly accuse independent evaluators of “rushing to judgement”.
• Could lose the business.
• Loss of prestige/ possible adverse impact on legacy.
• Loss of market share. Competition may discover firm’s weakness.
• Differing agendas.
• Loss of profit.
• May not state, to you, their expectations.
• Risk tolerance. What is the firm’s resolve?
• Possible job loss or authority.
• A feeling of betrayal/been misled or accused of misleading others/ concerned about a lack of transparency.
• Denial/ pushback that there is a problem: refusal to admit that theirs is an ill-conceived project.
• Management may not have had the skills to have embarked on the project in the first place.

Other possible consequences

• Legal: Lawsuits, wrongful death/injury claims, shareholder/ class-action suits, actual/impending regulatory action
• Political.
• Succession.
• Fines.
• The project will be difficult to execute.
• Management may want an objective assessment of the project’s viability.
• Resources are being consumed but objectives are not being met.
• Management wants to reduce the number of costly learning curve mistakes.
• Management wants quick and visible ANSWERS/ results FAST!!!
• May attempt to hide behind a web of convoluted arguments that would render them legally untouchable.
• May wish to escape possible consequences/ obscure responsibility/ escape accountability/ deflect criticism/ May want to delay an independent investigation.
• May be blamed for “experimenting” irresponsibly/ quitting/ losing.
• May be viewed as being inexperienced. Have more questions than answers.
• May not want you to know that they don’t know.
• May be accused of “moving too slowly” to resolve issues.
• Could be accused of failing to proactively inform/ sound alarm to all concerned of the problem.
• Could be accused of being “asleep and the wheel”, “absent”, “insulated” or “detached” from the “situation on the ground”.
• Perception of management’s lack of awareness/ loss of control/absence/ mismanagement/ loss of direction of the project.
• Certain situations (e.g., wars, acts of God) may have occurred which were beyond management’s ability to control)
• Management may be losing patience with results, thus far.