When a project goes wrong, it can often be traced back to some form of miscommunication. Whatever the mistake may be, a project that fails does so because it exists in a state of what I call project phantasmagoria.

As this is not a common term, let me supply a definition. Phantasmagoria is "a shifting series of phantasms, illusions, or deceptive appearances, as in a dream or as created by the imagination." While there may be some argument about the usage of this word, it is generally agreed that phantasmagoria is a state of believing in a false reality.

Sometimes, a project fails because of this false reality. It is "a shifting series of ‘project’ phantasms, ‘project’ illusions, or deceptive appearances ‘in a project.’" Maybe it’s the individual team member living in a state of phantasmagoria. Or maybe it's the entire team. It could be the manager or the project itself. It could be your project management software. Perhaps the whole business is altogether nothing but a shifting series of phantasms.

A business can attain phantasmagoria in three easy steps, each of which is progressively worse than the previous. I will describe them below.

1. Individual phantasmagoria. This happens when the smallest unit of a company, the individual team member, is not in sync with the goals of the project. Tasks are not prioritized. The individual fails to keep work documented, refuses to listen to the advice of managers, and ignores important data associated with the project. When this person’s final work is not in accord with the project’s goals, he or she can’t comprehend why the manager is so upset.

2. Team phantasmagoria. This happens when the team loses track of the project. They might be caught up in some sort of collective hype over the scope of the project. An example of this would be when a team has put too much detail into the anticipated result. Perhaps they are thinking about the income, or, even one step further, thinking about steak dinner on payday. In reality, the team hasn’t even found sufficient resources to initiate the project.

3. Manager phantasmagoria. This is a much more complex stage because the project manager can lose perspective of a project in a variety of ways, especially if the team and its individuals are already off. One of the leading causes of manager phantasmagoria happens when the project manager doesn’t trust his or her resources. When team members are inaccurately downsized or upsized in their capabilities, the manager can’t evenly distribute the work. In the manager’s view, the team members are entirely at fault when problems occur in a project, causing a stressful, negative environment for everyone.

Once these three steps are taken, achieving phantasmagoria for the whole business is only a matter of time. New ideas might imperceptibly slip into the management methodologies. New restrictions and regulations might rule an otherwise natural work flow. Over-the-top project goals and insufficient project management software might create a business with a foundation of false information, which, in turn, leads to more and more miscommunication. In the end, when company processes misfire, and no one knows why, people might be driven to make decisions based on fleeting personal emotions, blaming or, in worst-case scenarios, even hurting others.

Such a state is a state of project phantasmagoria.