Acceptable Excuses

Here are excuses offered for various behaviors or strategies. They are often offered as satisfactory reasons for the strategy or behaviors in the face of questions - ThinkingOutLoud.DonaldNoyes.20141027

When questioned when the day for expected delivery is approaching and why time and cost overruns are necessary:

"In our operational environment, there is not enough time or resources to do the x you want."

"The thing is much more complicated and difficult, being that it is non-trivial, so it will take more time, cost more, or requirements will need to be restated. We would rather not have to ship what we have finished to date, because there are still known-bugs and shortcomings that will take additional time to fix. Some of the key people on the project have either left, or have been re-assigned to other projects, without the supply of replacements of suitable experience and skill. Project financing has run out, and we can not ethically charge this project at another project's expense."