5 Most Common Project Management Mistakes and how to avoid them

“Learning from mistakes and not repeating them, is what life is about.”

– Bill Gates

Who doesn’t commit mistakes?

Everyone does it! Errors and mistakes are part and parcel of the human being’s existence. Mistakes teach and mould us in many ways. It’s the greatest mentor for an individual.

Nevertheless, repeating the same mistakes is not healthy. It causes you personally and professionally as well.

We understand you as a project manager that how you struggle with avoiding project management mistakes. Though, you cannot avoid some situations and errors taken place due to uncontrolled nature of it, you can minimize the mistakes’ ratio for sure.

However, avoiding the common project management mistakes is an important aspect for you as a project manager. These common mistakes can have much larger implications further down the line, pushing your budget high and postponed deadlines.

These common project management mistakes may hamper your project manager career too.

So, figuring out those common mistakes and learning project management should be your paramount priority.

We assure you that once you know these common project management mistakes and get the art of dealing with it strategically and confidently, you will be among those successful project managers.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Top-most 5 Common Project Management Mistakes and how to avoid them:

Uncleared Project Objectives

You cannot start your voyage without a map. If you do so, you will never reach your destination.
This same applies to projects. A project manager should not begin the project unless and until he has defined project objectives. It is utmost necessary to have clear targets and goals before you get on any project.
One of the most popular project objective defining tools is ‘SMART’. It is a criterion used by the successful project management professionals to achieve the targeted goals.
SMART stands for:
SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ATTAINABLE
RELEVANT
TIME-BOUND

Misplaced Work Priorities

As a project manager, setting the right priorities is a fundamental factor in completing a project in time. If you give a high priority to the unnecessary things or work, you will not be able to finish your project targets and goals.
While handling the multiple tasks, it is quite important for you to manage time and give enough weightage to the must-do tasks first.
You need to categorize tasks as critical, important and good-to-do first if you wish to be productive and get more from your team members.
You can use the 80-20 rule for the same, which means that 20% of the causes determine 80% of the effects.

Ineffective Communication

Being a good communicator is one of the great qualities of a successful project manager. Ineffective commination does hurt your team’s performance and project results as well.
You cannot take care of all the project-related tasks. You need your team member’s help. Monitoring teammate’s work schedule, holding regular meetings and dealing with clients and stakeholders are important parts of any project manager’s job profile.
Learning the effective communication skill is a soft skill. As a project manager, you must have a good command over your non-technical skills as well.

Not Accepting and Being Open to Changes

‘Change is the only constant thing in the world.’ You cannot remain inflexible if you want to have desired results of your thoughts and actions. Changes are inevitable in any project life-cycle. And if you don’t show acceptance and openness then you cannot leave a positive impact on your team members.
Most of the times, as a project manager, you are challenged to face critical situations. Knowing how to handle it is a skill which must be mastered by you. Today, thousands of project managers are opting for project management professional certificates to develop project management related skills.
Unable to Manage Risk Factors
Nothing comes easy in life. Today’s business world is full of challenges and risks. Any successful project manager would agree on a point that the taking risk has become a core part of their work style.
You never know what is folded for you. Though, we plan the things well, it’s beyond our capacity to control a next person’s choices and decisions. Clients and stakeholders are not easy to handle.
There are many factors which affect a project cycle and you as a project manager have to deal with confidently. You cannot avoid taking risks. Sometimes, the risks lead you towards the unexpected, but positive outcomes.
When the project does not do well, it is quite easy to complain that something unexpected happened and it was not in your hands to control it. But as a true leader, you have to anticipate problems and plan for them accordingly. That’s what separates a successful project manager and a mediocre one.
Therefore, if you wish to stand out from the crowd in your organization, make sure that you brush up your risk management skills.

Takeaway.

Let us remember that it is unlikely to avoid each and every mistake when you do multiple tasks, but it is our need and skill to avoid at least common mistakes.
It is also important not to repeat the same mistakes. If you want to grow as a leader and achieve your career’s desired job profile then you should not be committing the common project management errors at all.
With the above-shared points, you too can 100% avoid these top 5 common mistakes and become a successful project manager in your organization.
We wish you all the best for your project management professional career!

Source: WeRedesign

You Might Want To Read:
Common Law Admission Test Clat 2010, Ugc Net Commerce Question Paper 1 2006, Mathematics Question Paper 2 2015, Jkpsc Combined Competitive Examination Agriculture Mock Test Paper 11, Harpercollins Publishers India Vs Penguin Random House India, Gmat Vs Gre, Archaeology Question Paper 8 2009, C S Examination Life Non Life Insurance Salesmanship Mock Test Paper 16, Motion Edu Tab Target 2019 Complete Device Neet Aspirants, Wbhs