Thing 1, Thing 2, and Scope Creep Too

What The Cat in the Hat Taught Me About Project Management

You wouldn’t think a six-foot-tall talking cat in a striped hat would have much to say about stakeholder engagement or risk management. But if you’ve ever led a project that went sideways while someone insisted “it’s all part of the fun,” then The Cat in the Hat might just be your new PM textbook.

Dr. Seuss, meet PMBOK.

1. Uninvited Stakeholders = Scope Mayhem

The Cat shows up uninvited, brings his own plan (entertain the kids during a rainy day), and immediately changes the room’s dynamics—without aligning with stakeholders (the kids) or even acknowledging the risk owner (the goldfish, obviously).

How often have you had an executive sponsor—or a well-meaning department head—appear halfway through your sprint with “a fun little idea” that derails your roadmap? If the Cat had shown the kids a charter first, maybe we’d have avoided a few overturned furniture items.

Takeaway: Identify your stakeholders early and engage them intentionally. Surprises are great for birthday parties—not for project scope.

2. Risk Management? What Risk Management?

Balancing a fishbowl on an umbrella while standing on a ball is... bold. But also, a classic failure to assess risk. The Cat doesn’t run a risk register, doesn’t calculate impact probability, and certainly doesn’t have a mitigation plan.

Meanwhile, the fish is losing its mind—essentially the voice of your risk analyst waving a red flag while the rest of the team celebrates velocity.

Takeaway: Risk planning isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a safeguard for when Things 1 and 2 start tearing up your deliverables.

3. The Dangers of Unmanaged Team Members

Ah yes, Things 1 and 2. Boundless energy, zero accountability. Their contribution? Chaos.

They’re the subcontractors you brought in for one simple task and who instead rewire the building. Enthusiasm without guidance is dangerous. The Cat released them with no RACI chart, no constraints, and definitely no alignment meeting.

Takeaway: Even the most creative team members need structure, expectations, and a clear definition of done.

4. Cleaning Up: The Forgotten Phase of Many Projects

Just when the fish thinks all is lost, the Cat returns with a cleanup machine that miraculously fixes everything. Honestly, I’ve met a few project managers who seem to think project closure works the same way.

In real life? You don’t get a magical contraption. You get lessons learned sessions, stakeholder debriefs, sign-offs, and the chance to turn your mess into maturity.

Takeaway: Don’t skip project closure. It’s not just paperwork—it’s where professional trust is either solidified or sunk.

5. Communication Dilemmas: “What Would You Do If...?”

The final page of the book leaves us with a classic project communications conundrum: Do you report everything that happened... or keep things quiet because the outcome looks fine?

Ethics, transparency, and stakeholder trust are all on the line.

Takeaway: Honest, proactive communication—especially when things go wrong—builds far more credibility than hiding behind polished outcomes.

In Conclusion...

The Cat in the Hat is more than just a rhyming tale about rainy day antics. It’s a colorful case study in what not to do when managing stakeholders, teams, and project risks. But if you read it with your PM hat on, it also reminds us that:

Stakeholder engagement matters.
Risk isn’t just a line on a spreadsheet.
Team chaos is preventable.
Closure is part of delivery.
And transparency, even when awkward, beats silence.

Next time you feel like your project’s being run by a cat in a hat... take a breath, grab your charter, and remember: even chaos can teach us something.

Best fishes (and balance beams),

Dr. Doug

Have you ever had a “Thing 1 and 2” moment on a project? Let’s swap stories in the comments. 👇