The 15 most common mistakes in project management
Some time ago, we already presented the project management skills you need, to stand out from the crowd and manage your projects efficiently.
On the other hand, there are numerous mistakes you can make that can cause a project to fail. We have collected here the 15 most common problems for you. We also give you tips on how to fix them or avoid in the first place.
1. Unclear workload
Many projects fail because the workload was not clearly outlined. If vagueness creeps in here, the whole project suffers. In the worst case, it remains unclear when it is even completed. Define a clear Project goal, at the beginning that needs to be achieved.
2. Undefined expectations
All project participants must know from the beginning what the requirements of a project are and which expectations are to be met - otherwise a fiasco is imminent. Therefore, document in advance for all team members what is being done and how to know when the project is complete.
3. Missing management support
The support from the top of the company should be absolutely secured, otherwise the chances of success are considerably reduced. A regular mutual update to stay in tune with top management is therefore essential for a successful project.
4. Non-adapted methodology
In project management, it is common to work with standardized key tasks and deliverables. However, such standard approaches are usually geared towards projects of a certain size. They may no longer fit when venturing into larger projects than in the past.
5. Overloaded employees
Projects can also fail because employees are overloaded with work. This can be avoided by getting a clear picture of the strengths of the team members in advance and making sure that tasks are distributed sensibly.
6. Undivided dominion knowledge
Projects live from the fact that information is not monopolized, but shared with each other. This often does not happen when results have to be delivered only after a long start-up time. Divide the project into short phases at the end of which there should be results, so-called milestones, with which the whole team can continue to work.
7. Unclear decision making
In the course of a project, changes to the original roadmap are often unavoidable. However, in Change Management it should be clearly documented who changed what and when, and what the new direction of travel is.
8. Danger of getting out of hand
Change requests, i.e. requests for changes, are commonplace in project life. Unfortunately, they often have the unpleasant side effect of extending deadlines and budgets further and further. In the long run, this can lead to demotivation and frustration on all sides. In order to put a stop to this development, daily monitoring and a defined process for desired changes are useful in addition to clear targets.
9. Not being able to say "No"
For the sake of the company and successful project progress, it is sometimes necessary to turn down requests. It is therefore good to know how to say "No". It's best to suggest in such cases a constructive alternative solution.
10. Lack of cohesion
Project work is teamwork. However, due to jealousies, the focus on the actual goal is lost in some project teams. Instead, small groups accuse each other of being responsible for problems and poor performance. To prevent this, leadership is needed from the project manager. And the project manager should know how to involve his team in the decision-making process. Without communication, disaster is inevitable.
11. Forgotten daily work
Project managers should not forget to complete their everyday tasks. Those in charge who fail to communicate meeting dates, forget status reports and leave e-mails unanswered risk unnecessary delays.
12. Too frequent meetings
Meetings to discuss the status quo can be annoying - especially if they take place too often or last too long. Important information can often be better and more efficiently distributed to team members through collaboration tools. Restrict meetings to decision-making, and it's often enough to meet once a week to distribute new tasks and define priorities.
13. Good enough is not always good
Carelessness in quality assurance can become a problem. It is always cheaper to avoid mistakes instead of having to invest money and time in eradicating their negative consequences. Those who pay attention to high quality standards avoid later rework and the risk of a bad reputation.
14. Not learning from mistakes
After the end of a project, it is very important to perform an analysis of how it went. What went well, what should be improved. Such lessons learned help to avoid committed mistakes in the future.
15. Lack of software
Excel spreadsheets force project managers to make manual corrections and often lead to problems with status updates. In this respect, it is liberating to work with project management software such as Merlin Project, which provides automatic updates and relieves you from tedious manual reports.
