"What ifs" haunt every project— but you can manage them before they turn into nightmares. Break down risks and their cousins: assumptions, dependencies, and issues, prioritise them and then manage them. Drop the rose-tinted glasses: not everyone is on the same page (sometimes they’re not even in the same book!). Learn to spot risks early, surface hidden assumptions, stay on top of external dependencies, and tackle issues head-on. The payoff? Fewer surprises, less panic, and a reputation as the project manager who steers everyone clear of disaster.