I am indebted to Thomas Kennedy (@ThePMCoach) who tweeted:

“Project happen in two ways: Planned and then executed or Executed, stopped, planned and then executed”

I looked at this and thought; Thomas, good stuff however what about all the other (many many options)? Here are some more:

1. Planned, executed, risk identified, re-planned, re-executed and another risk identified or
2. Planned, senior management change their minds, project changed, project re-executed, senior management change their minds, project re-executed, delivered late or over budget or both. Project manager leaves or
3. Planned, executed and delivered. Sorry, stakeholders say didn’t want that. Re-planned, agreement on new plans. Changes to re-plan, delivered. Project over budget and time or
4. Project planned and then executed, in execution project manager finds confusion over project priorities and day job (business as usual not a full time project manager), time management conflicts, no guidance from project board. Project delivered however not the key project priority but no one told the project manager or team or
5. Planned and then executed but other top priority category projects (all 18 of them) have a higher priority so you drop this for one of your others. Senior managers keep changing their mind. No deliverables delivered. So many tensions, project staff de-motivated and some leave. More pressure on project staff. Nothing delivered and reduced to talking (shouting) shop
6. Project planned and executed. project board split in terms of requirements and delay delivery. Agreement reached however project team dispersed to work on other projects – top priority project NOT delivered

There must be lots more why not add yours.