What is Scope Creep?

Scope creep: a weird guy with a spyglass.

That’s from my other newsletter, for cringey dad jokes.

…

Right. We’ll move on.

Scope creep (real definition this time) is the gradual, unacknowledged expansion of work beyond what was originally agreed upon, without corresponding official changes to the budget, schedule, or expectations.

Scope creep is not just “the project getting bigger.”

Scope change is normal. Projects evolve. Ideas improve. Content develops. Scope changes are officially acknowledged.

Scope creep is not the same. It happens when people make small additional requests of other project team members. Slowly, over time. Any person or company in a project can be affected.

These are usually not treated as full decisions. Design just one extra graphic. Write just one more label. Find just ten more images.

Each feels minor. But they accumulate. Then teams start to feel pressure on cost, on schedule, on coordination.

And it can be hard to trace back to any single cause.

Here’s the thing:

Scope creep. A little bit might not hurt. But if it gets out of hand, you have a situation that’s hard to solve.

Now that you know, you’ll be able to see it as it’s happening.

Without a spyglass.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Scope creep, or scope drift. The gradual and unacknowledged expansion of an exhibition project or team member’s work beyond the original scope, without any adjustment to budget or schedule. It typically comes from incremental requests not treated as formal decisions. Eventually, this accumulates and can threaten a project.