Your business case says go-live is 1 March. Behind that date sits a line nobody questions: “Business SMEs will be available 2 days a week for testing.” That’s an assumption. And if it’s wrong, your date, your budget and your credibility all move with it. Assumption = something the plan treats as true, but nobody has confirmed yet. Your estimates, dates and costs are built on it. Example: “Finance SMEs will be available 2 days a week for UAT.” Risk = an uncertain event that would hurt your objectives if it happened. Example: “Finance SMEs may be pulled into year-end close, delaying UAT by 3 weeks.” Why this matters more than people think: Every assumption carries a risk. When an assumption fails and nobody logged it, it lands as an issue with no paper trail. The question in the steering meeting becomes “why didn’t you see this coming?” And that question lands on the PM. What strong PMs do differently: 1. Link each assumption to what depends on it. Which estimate, which milestone, which cost line. 2. Give it an owner and a “confirm by” date. An assumption with no owner never gets checked. 3. Get the sponsor to agree them at baseline. Now they’re shared, not yours alone. 4. Review them at every stage gate. The ones still unconfirmed close to delivery are your real risks. Move them to the risk log. 5. When one breaks, point back to it. Raise the issue and the change request against the logged assumption. That’s your protection. Whether you’re new to running projects or a few years in, this is the habit that separates “the plan slipped” from “I flagged this in March.” 🧠 Spot the difference Which of these are assumptions and which are risks? 1. “The vendor’s system will accept our data format.” 2. “The vendor may release their update late, delaying integration testing.” 3. “Phase 2 funding will be approved at the March board.” 👇 Drop your answer in the comments. Just numbers and letters is fine. Example: 1A, 2R, 3A I’ll share the answers tomorrow. 📂 Want to stop guessing which assumptions will catch you out?

Picture this. You've been running bits of projects for a while. Maybe you got handed one with no training. Then you scroll past a post about PM certificates and a little voice says, "Am I even a proper project manager without one?" You're not alone. This month CIO published its round-up of the best project management certifications for 2026, and PMI has been sharing guides on PMP exam prep. Certificates are a hot topic right now. My take A certificate can open a door. It gives you shared words and shows an employer you're serious. That matters, especially if you're trying to get in or move up. But a certificate does not run your project on Monday morning. It won't tell you what to say when a stakeholder goes quiet, or what to do when the plan slips. So here's how I'd think about it: Just starting? Don't wait for a certificate to start learning. Practise the basics now: write down the goal, list the work, track what's done. That practice also gives you real stories for interviews. Already doing the job? A certificate can help you move up, but your real proof is what you've delivered. Start writing down your wins now, while you remember them. Thinking about one? Some, like the PMP, ask for project experience before you can sit the exam. So the doing comes first either way. Skills and certificates aren't rivals. The skills make the certificate mean something. Over to you: do you have a PM certificate, are you working towards one, or are you learning by doing?