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Do this before help becomes expensive
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UK’s largest infrastructure project. In June 2018, High Speed 2 or HS2’s main civil contractors issued a warning. Their early estimates were showing significant cost increases. That was not a rumour. Not an anonymous complaint. Not some junior engineer being negative. It came from the contractors building the bloody thing. The project continued. Reviews followed. Committees met. Reports were written. PowerPoints were probably magnificent. As usually they are…specially when consultants are paid well… And, of course, the money kept disappearing. Fast-forward to 2026. Around two-thirds of HS2’s original budget had been spent. Only about one-third of the work had been completed. The current estimated cost? Between £87.7 billion and £102.7 billion. Yeah… billions, not millions. At that point, they finally needed serious help. New leadership. A new Board. Contract renegotiations. Real-time reporting. A “fundamental reset.” And consultants. Lots of consultants. And when I’m saying lots… I do mean it. HS2 spent £77.8 million on consultancy in 2025 alone. That is the funny thing about asking for help. People always think it is expensive when the first problems appear. “We can handle it internally.” “Let’s wait until we have more information.” “This is not the right time.” “We don’t have the budget.” Fine. Wait. Help becomes much cheaper after the problem has infected every contract, every relationship, every report and every decision… Of course. At that point, you do not need someone to challenge a letter or test a commercial position. You need an army. Lawyers. Claims consultants. Schedulers. Cost experts. Programme recovery specialists. And probably another group of consultants to coordinate the first group of consultants. HS2 did not need £77.8 million of help in 2018. It needed people to listen to the warnings. Challenge the assumptions. Read what was being sent. Ask uncomfortable questions. And act while the problems were still small enough to control. That is the thinking behind Before You Send. No army. No fundamental reset. No £77.8 million consultancy bill. Just a second pair of experienced eyes before you press Send. If you want Before You Send behind your next important decision, use the link below. Use this information at your own risk.
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Vicente Valencia
Weekly insights on how to perform when it matters | High-stakes decisions. Real situations. No BS. | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
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