Most everyone has worked on a project that went badly. Whether due to poor planning, bad team dynamics, or simple miscommunication, working on a project that isn’t going well is frustrating, and it can become difficult to get what needs to be done accomplished. As a project manager, it’s your job to see that the project goes smoothly, and you’ll also be the one to blame if it goes negatively. When planning for your first or next project, think about these common project management flaws and try to avoid them for your sake and your team’s.
- Getting the Wrong People and Giving the Wrong Tasks
When you start a project, you want to have the best people and the best combination of personalities and skills. Choose team members wisely, but also think about which tasks people can accomplish the best. Projects don’t go well when people feel they can do some tasks better than the person who is already working on it. - Failing to Get Everyone on the Team Behind the Project.
When people don’t care about what they’re doing, they won’t do it well or sometimes at all. When you start the project, it’s best to bring all of the enthusiasm and excitement to the table and make it spread. If you want your project to have energy, you have to make sure your people have energy too. - Lack of Communication and Meetings
If you expect that everything will get done when you assign it without follow-up communication, you’re probably wrong. When making your plan, remember to set up meetings and ways of effectively communicating. - Being Too Optimistic and Not Being Flexible
Your project will likely have flaws and issues to work through. Expect problems, and it will bring down your stress level when it happens. Allow yourself to have a flexible attitude, and you’ll find the creativity to solve problems. - Micromanaging
You may have the personality that wants to see to every detail, but it helps neither your team nor yourself. Quiet the micromanaging side of yourself and realize that micromanaging only puts stress on both the micromanager and the micromanaged. Treat your team members like team members and learn to delegate. - Using Bad Software or Using Software Badly
Project management software can be extremely useful for organization and communication during the project, but it’s not an end-all-fix-all. If you have the opportunity to choose the software you want to use, choose it wisely and do some research. Regardless, use the software well and make sure your entire team is comfortable using it. - Using the Wrong Methodology
Whether you’re using an agile or waterfall method, make sure your method matches the project. Waterfall methods are great for stream-lining detailed projects, and agile methods are best for creativity and flexibility. Whichever it is, make sure you and your team are comfortable with how the project is organized, or it won’t end up well.
