I'm not sure what you're asking. If the target hasn't been defined, it's likely it will be missed. That it's tied to a date is secondary. Not "disturbing them

I'm not sure what you're asking. If the target hasn't been defined, it's likely it will be missed. That it's tied to a date is secondary. Not "disturbing them with truths (as you seem them)" is irresponsible, but it's not always obvious how to go about presenting the facts-as-you-see-them. It seems like both your team and the client need a hard-reset to take a step back, decide what everyone actually wants, and to figure out a way to actually achieve something beyond mental exercises.