Friday the 13th calls for some superstitious fun in an infographic.
Let’s take a look at 13 common mistakes in project management and how to avoid them.
- Underskilled Resources – Place an emphasis on skill over availability. Choosing your team simply because they are available may backfire.
- Tunnel Vision – Never lose sight of outside factors that could have an impact on your project. Other projects, time of year, foreign holdiays can all catch you unaware.
- Overly Ambitious Scheduling – Keep it real when planning your schedule. Don’t over commit on delivery dates. Playing it safe will pay off.
- Lack of Communication – Establish a repeatable process for providing updates to management. Stay consistent in your messaging and delivery.
- Under Evaluating Issues – Treat all issues as important. React swiftly to ensure resolution. The worst thing to report is a known issue that has grown out of control due to neglect.
- Mushy Requirements – Focus on recording detailed, precise requirements. Leaving any level of ambiguity could lead to scope creep and unrealistic targets.
- Fear of Escalation – Escalation is your friend. Don’t be afraid to bring risks or issues to management’s attention. It is your most direct channel for getting help.
- The Yes Man – Saying “no” is a project manager’s super power. Being afraid to say “no” can lead to perpetual scope creep, unavailable resources or worse.
- Not Defining: SUCCESS – Make sure your team, customers and supporters understand what defines success for your project. Clear, measurable targets are best.
- Scope Creep – A tightly managed process to manage change requests is imperative to avoid scope creep. Insist that all change request follow the established process.
- The “I” in Team – Make use of your resources. Do not be the person who wants to do everything on their own. Delegation is key!
- Murky Planning – Establish clear lines between phases of your project so your team understands when you are planning, executing and wrapping up.
- The Cone of Silence – Just like with children, silence signals something is not right. If you are hearing nothing from your PM or team members, reach out and ask for updates.
Simply crossing your fingers and hoping for results just wont get you to the finish line but avoiding these common project management pitfalls can significantly increase your chances of project success.