Episode 26 — Surfacing Hidden Assumptions Fast
Hidden assumptions are silent risk multipliers, so this episode focuses on rapid techniques to expose them before they harden into schedule or cost surprises. We define “hidden” as any belief about people, technology, scope, or dependencies that is not written, reviewed, or time-bound for validation. You will learn lightweight prompts that work in interviews and workshops, such as asking what would have to be true for a plan to succeed, or which external parties must behave as expected for milestones to hold. We tie these practices to the PMI-RMP exam by showing how stems often bury fragile beliefs inside optimistic narratives, rewarding candidates who translate those beliefs into validation tasks with owners and dates.
We expand with fast flows you can deploy within a single working day: a 30-minute “fragility sweep” of the schedule, a checklist targeting vendor readiness and data quality, and a short retro of past projects to spot repeating blind spots. Best practices include assigning temporary confidence ratings, setting near-term validation triggers, and capturing potential opportunity upside when assumptions prove better than expected. Troubleshooting guidance covers stakeholder defensiveness and “we already know this” fatigue; we model neutral phrasing and evidence requests that lower resistance. The goal is to move from faith-based planning to testable statements quickly, preserving momentum without adding bureaucracy. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.
