Tunnel vision is generally defined as the tendency to focus on a single goal with a limited point of view. The definition itself indicates that it is not an ideal element for project management, especially that of a Class III device. Its occurrence can be attributed to a stubborn personality in that a simple task that seemed straightforward at first was actually a lot more complex. Tunnel vision in this case would cause a PM to go about the task as scheduled instead of taking a step back and investing more towards the task’s completion. The worse aspect of tunnel vision is that it serves as a distraction from other tasks that may actually hold more priority. One way to avoid tunnel vision is to simply ensure that every member of the project team shares the same vision so that no one deviates from the overall objective. Since tunnel vision originates from a lack of information, overconfidence, or a lack of time, it is important to ensure an effective level of communication among a project team.

A topic covered in this course is the application of communication management while navigating through a project. How might this be handled by a PM to reduce project tunnel vision? Scope creep is also covered, and is defined as uncontrolled changes to a project’s scope as a project progresses, which can lead to unexpected cost and time delays. Do tunnel vision and scope creep fall under the same category, or is there a difference? Can the complexity of a project (i.e. a project for a Class I device versus a Class III) affect how tunnel vision is handled?