Here are the top 8 mistakes in project management: How to fix them
Introduction:
Nobody is born an expert. You learn by living. Like everything else in life and work, no one is born a great project manager. This is how it works. Ask any successful project manager and they will tell you that they have developed the skills over the course their career. You learn from your mistakes and grow.
It’s not surprising that most project management errors are common. This means that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. If you learn from the common problems in project management, you can then try to avoid making them when managing your projects.
Here are 8 common mistakes in project management and some tips on how to fix them.
1. Not defining the project’s objectives
To ensure success of a project, a project manager must first set clear goals. Is it possible to start your journey without knowing where it is going? It’s unlikely, I think. Also, if you don’t know the answers to questions like ‘What is the purpose?’ or ‘Why is this important for the organization?’ then your chances of delivering the results are very low.
What happens if you don’t clarify your purpose? There are many tasks involved in most projects. It is easy to get lost in the details. You will also struggle to identify priorities if you don’t see the bigger picture. Without a clear goal in mind, it is difficult to create an effective roadmap.
There are many ways that project managers can identify the objectives. SMART is the most popular. It is a criterion that is used in project management to set goals. SMART stands to:
SPECIFIC: Does the goal address a specific area for improvement? Or, addressing a specific need?
MEASURABLE: Can the goal be quantified? Or does it allow for measurable progress?
ATTAINABLE: Does the goal meet your expectations? Is it realistic? Does it consider available resources and existing constraints.
RELEVANT – Does the goal align with other business goals?
TIME-BOUND: Does your goal have a deadline
To make it easier to set objectives, you can also use the strategy described above. This will ensure that you make a solid first step towards project success.
2. Not setting priorities correctly
Timothy Ferris: “If you don’t have time, you don’t have priorities.”
Project managers complain that they have difficulty meeting deadlines. This is a common complaint. It is often not because they are not dedicated to the projects, but because they can’t prioritize tasks. It is quite possible to say that prioritization is what makes the difference between a successful and unsuccessful project.
Project managers are responsible for managing multiple tasks. You will waste your time on unnecessary tasks in this ever-changing business environment. It is not uncommon for managers to make everything a ‘high priority’. This means that there is little to no work. The result is that work will accumulate and deadlines won’t be met. If you want to be more productive and get more out of your team, you must categorize tasks as important, critical, and good-to do.
Have you heard of the 80-20 rule? It states that 20% causes 80% effects. To be a project manager you must understand the 20% tasks involved and assign them a high priority.
For more information, please read the following article.
https://www.greycampus.com/blog/project-management/six-step-process-to-priroritize-project-tasks
3. Communication with team members is not effective
Some project managers make the error of not spending enough time communicating with their stakeholders.