When a project derails, speed alone won’t fix it. This topic teaches how to diagnose, stabilize, and rebuild trust with clarity and calm leadership.
Rescuing a Project That Has Gone Off the Rails helps teams respond to project distress with structure rather than panic. It guides project managers through diagnosing root causes, pausing nonessential work, clearing decision backlogs, re-establishing communication rhythms, and rebuilding client confidence through transparency. The emphasis is on stabilizing first, accelerating second. With the right steps, struggling projects can be recovered—and relationships can be repaired rather than damaged.
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upcoming unit
newly added (during the present quarter)
A quick, written synopsis on a topic, no more than 1200 words.
An informative video on a subject, no more than 20 minutes long; most are under 10 minutes.
A filmed or audio interview with a professional in the AEC industry.
20 brief activities completed daily, weekly, or monthly to build habits around a topic.
A group activity designed to plan, strategize, explore, or develop procedures.
A document, spreadsheet, or drawing that supports a task or exercise.
my library units
If you'd like to contribute new units to the library, go to your dashboard under the "contribute to the library" tab. Complete the form for your unit, which could be an article, video, interview, prompt set, template or exercise. Choose up to two topics for each unit. Your contributions will show here under "my library units".
Twennie's library units
ARTICLE: Rescuing a Project That's Gone Off the Rails
AUTHOR
Twennie Founders
When projects go off the rails, the damage extends far beyond schedule delays and cost overruns. Emotional, operational, financial, legal, and managerial problems often emerge simultaneously, creating a cycle that can quickly overwhelm a team. Drawing lessons from major Canadian infrastructure projects, this article explores the five categories of challenges that commonly affect troubled projects and outlines practical actions leaders can take to regain control.
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VIDEO: Rescuing a Project That's Gone Off the Rails
AUTHOR
Twennie Founders
Using real-world examples including the Ottawa LRT, Windsor Parkway, and Yukon’s Nisutlin Bay Bridge replacement, this video explores how projects go off the rails and what leaders can do to recover them. It introduces five categories of project problems—emotional, operational, financial, legal, and managerial—and explains how each can undermine project success. For every category, viewers receive practical recovery actions designed to restore confidence, control, and momentum.
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reflective
PROMPT SET: Rescuing a Project One Day at a Time
AUTHOR
Twennie Founders
Projects rarely fail because of a single problem. More often, they become overwhelmed by a combination of emotional, operational, financial, legal, and managerial challenges that compound over time. This prompt set provides twenty short, practical recovery exercises designed to help project leaders regain control during difficult periods. Participants identify risks, clarify priorities, improve communication, strengthen accountability, and develop recovery-focused thinking.
why should I register for this prompt set:
to use daily activities to rescue an ailing project, including staying calm, leading the team, keeping good records, and managing costs
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TEMPLATE: Project Recovery Plan
PROJECTED
June 27, 2026
When projects go off the rails, panic and improvisation often make the situation worse. The Project Recovery Plan template provides a structured framework for assessing troubled projects and developing a credible path forward. Teams evaluate emotional, operational, financial, legal, and managerial challenges, identify root causes, prioritize recovery actions, assign responsibilities, and establish monitoring systems that support informed decision-making.
