PM - When Vision Meets Reality

Before founding my consulting firm, I was responsible for laboratory systems in a pharmaceutical company. Among my key roles was bridging between the business — my internal clients — and the external suppliers. The process of selecting a system and a vendor always began clearly: defined requirements, clear goals. But once development started, everything became more dynamic. As users saw the product taking shape, they realized new possibilities — and the space between what we asked for and what we actually want became very fluid. At that point, the mediator’s role — whether a project manager, system analyst, or implementation lead — becomes truly complex. You need to keep everyone satisfied, balanced, and realistic. Since founding my own practice, I’ve watched this dynamic from the outside — and it happens all the time. There are rules, there are methodologies, but in the end, it’s all about people working with people. So how do you handle that moment when the dream finally touches the ground? Maybe a bit like the cyclamen blooming in the middle of the heat — brave enough to challenge reality, even if it doesn’t fully understand it.