Ben Webb - Project Manager - Sydney
@benwebbproject.bsky.social
Ben Webb is an award-winning project manager and accomplished leader with a reputation for delivering complex projects with clarity, precision, and results. Based in Sydney Australia
The moment a program becomes “too big to slow down”
is usually when it most needs to.
is usually when it most needs to.
January 21, 2026 at 10:24 AM
The moment a program becomes “too big to slow down”
is usually when it most needs to.
is usually when it most needs to.
Some of the least effective projects I’ve seen were also the busiest.
Meetings everywhere. Reports everywhere. Decisions nowhere.
I wrote this on why “busy” is such a dangerous comfort signal in project management — and what actually indicates progress.
Meetings everywhere. Reports everywhere. Decisions nowhere.
I wrote this on why “busy” is such a dangerous comfort signal in project management — and what actually indicates progress.
Busy Is Not Progress in Project Management
One of the most persistent myths in project environments is that busyness equals effectiveness. It doesn’t. I’ve worked on projects where calendars were full, inboxes were overflowing, and teams were…
paragraph.com
January 21, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Some of the least effective projects I’ve seen were also the busiest.
Meetings everywhere. Reports everywhere. Decisions nowhere.
I wrote this on why “busy” is such a dangerous comfort signal in project management — and what actually indicates progress.
Meetings everywhere. Reports everywhere. Decisions nowhere.
I wrote this on why “busy” is such a dangerous comfort signal in project management — and what actually indicates progress.
I’ve seen more projects fail through drift than collapse.
No crisis. No headline moment. Just slow loss of clarity while everyone stays “busy.”
I wrote this to explain why drift is so dangerous — and why leadership matters more than plans.
No crisis. No headline moment. Just slow loss of clarity while everyone stays “busy.”
I wrote this to explain why drift is so dangerous — and why leadership matters more than plans.
Most Projects Don’t Fail. They Drift.
Drift is when a project looks busy but isn’t moving in the right direction. Reports are written. Meetings are held. Milestones are ticked off. Yet the real problems remain untouched.
paragraph.com
January 21, 2026 at 8:59 AM
I’ve seen more projects fail through drift than collapse.
No crisis. No headline moment. Just slow loss of clarity while everyone stays “busy.”
I wrote this to explain why drift is so dangerous — and why leadership matters more than plans.
No crisis. No headline moment. Just slow loss of clarity while everyone stays “busy.”
I wrote this to explain why drift is so dangerous — and why leadership matters more than plans.
Projects don’t get into trouble all at once.
They do it one unchallenged assumption at a time.
They do it one unchallenged assumption at a time.
January 21, 2026 at 8:24 AM
Projects don’t get into trouble all at once.
They do it one unchallenged assumption at a time.
They do it one unchallenged assumption at a time.
If reporting was control,
your dashboards would fix your projects problems.
They don’t.
your dashboards would fix your projects problems.
They don’t.
Reporting Is Not Control | Ben Webb | Sydney
Ben Webb | Project Management Sydney, Australia · Episode
open.spotify.com
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 AM
If reporting was control,
your dashboards would fix your projects problems.
They don’t.
your dashboards would fix your projects problems.
They don’t.
Project Governance works best when it’s uncomfortable early
and boring later.
and boring later.
When Governance Becomes the Problem | Ben Webb
Ben Webb | Project Management Sydney, Australia · Episode
open.spotify.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:43 AM
Project Governance works best when it’s uncomfortable early
and boring later.
and boring later.
I’ve learned that escalation only feels dramatic
when it’s left too late.
when it’s left too late.
January 20, 2026 at 9:43 AM
I’ve learned that escalation only feels dramatic
when it’s left too late.
when it’s left too late.
I’ve been posting short daily notes on project governance, risk, and delivery without chasing engagement.
mastodon.social/@BenWebbProjectManager
mastodon.social/@BenWebbProjectManager
Ben Webb – Project Manager (@[email protected])
6 Posts, 5 Following, 0 Followers · Award-winning Project Manager (AIPM 2022). Infrastructure, digital transformation, complex programs. Writing at benwebb.au.
mastodon.social
January 20, 2026 at 8:59 AM
I’ve been posting short daily notes on project governance, risk, and delivery without chasing engagement.
mastodon.social/@BenWebbProjectManager
mastodon.social/@BenWebbProjectManager
Some of my background and public-facing project work here, for context:
benwebb-media.carrd.co
January 19, 2026 at 9:25 AM
Some of my background and public-facing project work here, for context:
In Blog 4, I break down what truly sets these leaders apart—discipline, culture, relentless standards—and why their kitchens are a masterclass in operational excellence.
🔗 medium.com/@benwebbpm/b...
#BenWebb #MichelinStar #Leadership #HospitalityProjects #OperationalExcellence
🔗 medium.com/@benwebbpm/b...
#BenWebb #MichelinStar #Leadership #HospitalityProjects #OperationalExcellence
Beneath the Stars: Leadership and Culture Among Michelin-Starred Chefs
Contrary to the rockstar myths, Michelin-starred chefs are rarely flamboyant egomaniacs — they’re systems thinkers — part mad scientist.
medium.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:59 AM
In Blog 4, I break down what truly sets these leaders apart—discipline, culture, relentless standards—and why their kitchens are a masterclass in operational excellence.
🔗 medium.com/@benwebbpm/b...
#BenWebb #MichelinStar #Leadership #HospitalityProjects #OperationalExcellence
🔗 medium.com/@benwebbpm/b...
#BenWebb #MichelinStar #Leadership #HospitalityProjects #OperationalExcellence
Strong project managers don’t create certainty.
They create decision velocity.
They create decision velocity.
January 19, 2026 at 6:25 AM
Strong project managers don’t create certainty.
They create decision velocity.
They create decision velocity.
Keeping a lightweight reference page that links out to my writing and long-form work.
Not a homepage — just a pointer.
Not a homepage — just a pointer.
Ben Webb | Award-Winning Project Manager | Sydney — Bio Sites
Create a free link in bio with Bio Sites by Squarespace. Showcase your links, earn money, and grow your brand online, all with one link.
bio.site
January 18, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Keeping a lightweight reference page that links out to my writing and long-form work.
Not a homepage — just a pointer.
Not a homepage — just a pointer.
No.10 in my series on The World’s 50 Best Project Managers of All Time.
This piece looks at Ferdinand Magellan through a project lens — leadership under sustained uncertainty, fragile stakeholder support, and conditions where failure compounded daily.
This piece looks at Ferdinand Magellan through a project lens — leadership under sustained uncertainty, fragile stakeholder support, and conditions where failure compounded daily.
#10 Ferdinand Magellan: Leading the First Voyage Around the World
By Ben Webb — Project Manager
medium.com
January 18, 2026 at 1:41 AM
No.10 in my series on The World’s 50 Best Project Managers of All Time.
This piece looks at Ferdinand Magellan through a project lens — leadership under sustained uncertainty, fragile stakeholder support, and conditions where failure compounded daily.
This piece looks at Ferdinand Magellan through a project lens — leadership under sustained uncertainty, fragile stakeholder support, and conditions where failure compounded daily.
Recorded a short podcast on why projects rarely fail loudly.
They drift — and everyone senses it early.
They drift — and everyone senses it early.
Drifting: How Projects Fail Without Anyone Noticing | Ben Webb
Ben Webb | Project Management Sydney, Australia · Episode
open.spotify.com
January 18, 2026 at 12:41 AM
Recorded a short podcast on why projects rarely fail loudly.
They drift — and everyone senses it early.
They drift — and everyone senses it early.
A project can be busy, funded, and well-staffed
and still be heading in the wrong direction.
and still be heading in the wrong direction.
January 17, 2026 at 10:41 PM
A project can be busy, funded, and well-staffed
and still be heading in the wrong direction.
and still be heading in the wrong direction.
Managing the unknown isn’t romantic — it’s structured risk, persuasion, and endurance.
Whatever view you take of history, the delivery challenge itself is worth examining.
No.9 in the series 👇
Whatever view you take of history, the delivery challenge itself is worth examining.
No.9 in the series 👇
#9 Christopher Columbus: Navigating the Unknown with Strategy and Stakeholder Buy-In
“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Christopher Columbus
medium.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Managing the unknown isn’t romantic — it’s structured risk, persuasion, and endurance.
Whatever view you take of history, the delivery challenge itself is worth examining.
No.9 in the series 👇
Whatever view you take of history, the delivery challenge itself is worth examining.
No.9 in the series 👇
No.8 in my series on The World’s 50 Best Project Managers of All Time.
This piece looks at Elon Musk through a delivery lens — how chaos, speed, and ambition interact when projects operate permanently at the edge of failure.
This piece looks at Elon Musk through a delivery lens — how chaos, speed, and ambition interact when projects operate permanently at the edge of failure.
#8 Elon Musk: Managing Chaos, Scale, and the Speed of Disruption
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favour.” — Elon Musk
medium.com
January 17, 2026 at 6:50 AM
No.8 in my series on The World’s 50 Best Project Managers of All Time.
This piece looks at Elon Musk through a delivery lens — how chaos, speed, and ambition interact when projects operate permanently at the edge of failure.
This piece looks at Elon Musk through a delivery lens — how chaos, speed, and ambition interact when projects operate permanently at the edge of failure.
I’ve found that most delivery issues aren’t technical.
They come from silence at the wrong time.
benwebb.au
They come from silence at the wrong time.
benwebb.au
Ben Webb — Project Manager, Project Director & Event Specialist
Project insights, case studies and commentary from Ben Webb on infrastructure, events, hospitality and complex delivery.
benwebb.au
January 16, 2026 at 11:50 PM
I’ve found that most delivery issues aren’t technical.
They come from silence at the wrong time.
benwebb.au
They come from silence at the wrong time.
benwebb.au
One of the hardest parts of project delivery!
is knowing when consensus is actually avoidance.
is knowing when consensus is actually avoidance.
January 16, 2026 at 10:50 PM
One of the hardest parts of project delivery!
is knowing when consensus is actually avoidance.
is knowing when consensus is actually avoidance.
Working on high-visibility projects teaches you one thing fast:
clarity beats cleverness every time.
clarity beats cleverness every time.
January 16, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Working on high-visibility projects teaches you one thing fast:
clarity beats cleverness every time.
clarity beats cleverness every time.
Background on my public-facing project work here, for context:
benwebb-media.carrd.co
benwebb-media.carrd.co
Ben Webb - Project Manager
Ben Webb is an award-winning Australian Project Manager specialising in the delivery of complex, high-visibility infrastructure and major programs across transport, tourism, hospitality, and civic…
benwebbprojectmanager.carrd.co
January 16, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Background on my public-facing project work here, for context:
benwebb-media.carrd.co
benwebb-media.carrd.co
Reporting creates visibility.
Control comes from decisions.
This episode explores why confusing the two
quietly undermines project delivery.
Control comes from decisions.
This episode explores why confusing the two
quietly undermines project delivery.
Reporting Is Not Control | Ben Webb | Sydney
Ben Webb | Project Management Sydney, Australia · Episode
open.spotify.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:25 AM
Reporting creates visibility.
Control comes from decisions.
This episode explores why confusing the two
quietly undermines project delivery.
Control comes from decisions.
This episode explores why confusing the two
quietly undermines project delivery.
Frameworks don’t deliver projects.
People do.
People do.
Why Frameworks Don’t Deliver Projects — People Do
Project management frameworks have never been more popular. Agile, Waterfall, hybrid models, scaled variants, maturity models. Each promises structure, clarity, and predictability. Each has…
project-management.ghost.io
January 15, 2026 at 12:14 PM
Frameworks don’t deliver projects.
People do.
People do.