Blog: Project Rescue Lessons from episode with Craig Erhorn: Why Projects Don’t Fail for the Reasons You Think

Most Workday project failures have very little to do with Workday. They fall apart long before configuration — in planning, accountability, and leadership alignment. In this conversation, longtime Workday leader and project rescue specialist Craig Erhorn shared what he’s learned from turning around struggling implementations.

The first theme he highlighted was capacity. Vendors often assume customers’ teams have “infinite resource availability,” but real implementations depend on subject matter experts who already have full-time jobs. Without a clear view of workload — week by week — teams end up overextended and burnt out. Craig builds an early task-level plan to show the actual hours required per person, so leaders can see bottlenecks before the wheels come off.

The second major factor is executive engagement. A sponsor on a slide isn’t the same as a sponsor in real life. The projects that succeed have senior leaders who understand what’s at stake, create accountability, and reinforce priorities. When the sponsor is visible and involved, momentum follows.

Success also comes down to relationships. The best project managers don’t just run meetings — they build trust. They know what each person is juggling, what might get in the way, and how to remove friction before small issues turn into delays. When the team knows you care about them as people, they show up differently.

Finally, Craig’s biggest career lesson is specialization. In the early years, he built deep expertise and became the person everyone called when a project needed help. That visibility opened doors and created opportunities he couldn’t have planned for.

If you’re leading a Workday initiative — or thinking about becoming an independent consultant — this conversation is packed with practical guidance you can apply immediately. You can catch the full episode on the Workday Gold Podcast wherever you listen.