The Scope Creep Games

An Event Nobody Trained For

A satirical PMTales story reframing scope creep as a competitive sport — complete with requirements gymnastics, timeline pole vaults, and ceremonially ignored scope.

The project did not experience scope creep.

It hosted it.

With snacks.

It started with a meeting labeled “Final Scope Review.”

This was optimistic branding.

The scope was displayed proudly on a slide titled:

WHAT WE ARE DOING

(And Nothing Else)

Someone asked a question.

Not a change request.

Just a warm-up stretch.

“Would it be hard to also include—”

The PM raised a hand.

“Let’s hold questions until the end.”

This bought six minutes.

By the second meeting, scope creep entered the arena.

It did not arrive dramatically.

It jogged in.

Wearing a badge that said:

Nice to Have

Everyone applauded politely.

The PM began competing.

Event 1: Requirements Gymnastics

A stakeholder requested a feature that was absolutely not in scope.

The PM responded smoothly:

“Great thought. That’s actually out of scope for Phase 1, but we’ve captured it for future consideration.”

Judges awarded:

• 9.5 for tone

• 9.8 for deflection

• 10 for not committing to anything

The crowd nodded. This was elite form.

Event 2: Timeline Pole Vault

The feature resurfaced.

“Can we still hit the date?”

The PM inhaled.

“Yes — assuming we prioritize strategically.”

No one asked what that meant.

Because everyone in the room understood that “prioritize strategically” meant “we will find out later who quietly loses something.”

The PM cleared the bar without touching scope, budget, or reality.

Event 3: Budget Synchronized Swimming

Someone leaned forward.

“This shouldn’t cost much more, right?”

The PM smiled.

“We’ll absorb it.”

This is a dangerous phrase.

But it looked beautiful in motion.

The budget spreadsheet flinched — then remained intact.

By this point, the scope wasn’t growing. It was being politely defended.

Event 4: Change Control Fencing

A brave soul asked:“Do we need a change request?”

The PM replied instantly:

“Let’s not slow things down with paperwork.”

The crowd roared.

Change control was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The project plan expanded.

Not downward.

Sideways.

New work was labeled:

• Refinement

• Enhancement

• Small tweak

No label exceeded three syllables.

This was intentional.

Event 5: Steering Committee Freestyle

A new stakeholder joined late.

They asked, innocently,“So what exactly are we delivering?”

The PM answered confidently.

It was not what had been originally approved.

No one corrected it.

At this level of competition, the official scope was ceremonial.

As the deadline approached, the PM entered the final event:

Ribbon Cutting Preparation

The product was:

• technically incomplete

• spiritually finished

• narratively successful

Talking points were drafted.

Slides were polished.

Words like launch, enable, and strategic milestone were deployed aggressively.

On launch day, the PM stood proudly at the finish line.

The scope had tripled.

The timeline had survived.

The budget had been interpreted generously.

No one mentioned scope creep.

The project was declared a success.

Medals were awarded.

Lessons were learned.

Next time, they said,we’ll control scope better.

The stadium lights dimmed.

The banner behind the PM still read:

WHAT WE ARE DOING

(And Nothing Else)

It flapped slightly. But no one adjusted it.

If this feels familiar, PMTales is a weekly dispatch from the competitive circuit.

No training required. No rulebook provided.

Just project managers doing whatever it takes to cross the line first —with something that looks like a win.