Ten Things to Avoid During Project Management
The Project Management Institute based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, defines project management as "the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently . . . a strategic competency for organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals -- and thus, better compete in their markets." It further divides the project management process into five stages: initiation, planning, executing, controlling and closing. Proper project management leads to successful completion of a project by ensuring effective implementation of each of these processes and reducing project risks.
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Common Mistakes
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Research to gain awareness of common errors made by other project managers in the past. This can include talking to project managers who have handled similar projects to get information on mistakes they made and how they corrected them. Note these carefully and avoid them.
Incomplete Research
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Conduct extensive research. Avoid implementing ideas that have not been thoroughly evaluated. Avoid the trial and error method of implementing ideas. Every project comes with unique challenges which provide opportunities to learn new things. Identify the challenges likely to be encountered during the implementation of the project and come up with solutions to these challenges.
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Failure to Plan
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Failing to plan leads to project failure. Every project must follow a plan thoughtfully established in advance by the project manager. Poor decisions can cause delays leading to wastage of resources and hindrance of project completion. Proper planning decreases the likelihood of such delay, ensuring the project runs smoothly and is completed on time.
Not Having Standards or Blueprints
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Standards are drafted to give direction on practices that have been learned and perfected with time. They guide managers on what procedures need to be followed. Lack of proper standards can result in the team struggling through trial and error. Blueprints are useful since they show the order in which related tasks were carried out. A project manager should follow already developed standards to ensure project success.
Poor Communication
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Teams without channels of communication are doomed to fail. Each member should coordinate with others to ensure a seamless flow of work. Communication should be enhanced through messages, emails, reports and presentations. Project managers must strive to let the team know the project's goals and objectives and the path to be followed to achieve them. Feedback should be encouraged. This allows the whole team to move forward as a unit.
Failure To Allow Enough Time
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Every phase of the project should be allowed the time allocated in the planning stage. Failure to do so results in rushed processes, inadequacies and incomplete tasks. The project manager should consult with and guide the team in allocating enough time for every task. Tasks that take longer than planned can borrow time from those that were completed more quickly than expected.
Lack of Checklists
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Checklists are helpful in tracking the project’s progress. Failure to carefully track progress can result in some tasks being sidestepped. Develop a list of the smaller activities that make up the entire phase. Note completion of each activity by marking it off on the checklist.
Not Testing or Reviewing the Work Done
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Some projects require that testing be done prior to handing over. Review all work with the team. Early testing can help nip errors in the bud, preventing the disastrous consequence of the client discovering the failure.
Rushing Toward the End
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Avoid rushing to meet project completion deadlines. A project manager who realizes that there is insufficient time left or that the funds assigned to the project are running out may be tempted to rush the process, leading to shoddy work. Such mistakes eventually have to be corrected, which can be costly.
Attempting to Complete Numerous Tasks Simultaneously
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A project manager should have a systematic approach toward completing project tasks. Doing a number of activities at the same time leads to confusion and, consequently, completion of nothing. Do one thing at a time, completing each before the next is undertaken.
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