Showing the real date is the one item that can really save a project manager from the firing line. There are times that the real date is adjusted because the project manager doesn't want to tell the team or the sponsor that they are behind. The funny thing is that the sponsor will find out eventually.

There is one tricky instance of this to keep in mind. In managing project communications, what you are really managing is expectations. A project is only early or late based on the expectation of when the project would be completed. So if a project is running late, show it immediately. However, if it is running early, do you show that, too? This is your call, but general practice is to keep the original date posted and to use the early time as contingency time. This will set the proper expectations and keep the project coming in early. It also accounts for Murphy's Law or an overexuberant team member reporting better progress than actually occurred.

In any case, show the real date. If a project runs off course early and you are reporting that on a weekly basis, is it any surprise to anyone if it comes in late? Managing expectations is what will determine project success.