It is unfortunate that many project managers make basic mistakes and don’t put in place a solid foundation based on which the project can progress. This, amongst other factors, is preventing them from stepping up and becoming project leaders.
Project leaders know that projects must be rooted in a logical and structured approach to delivery, as without it everything else falls apart.
If we do not have a solid method for defining and controlling the project’s scope, benefits, deliverables, costs, quality, risks and responsibilities, the project is unlikely to be successful even if the project manager is excellent at leading and motivating people.
It is true that people deliver projects, but processes support them in doing so.
Below is a list of the most classic mistakes that project managers make when it comes to the more process-related aspect of the job. Are you guilty of making any of these mistakes too?
1. Not paying sufficient attention to the planning stages of the project; being too eager to start building and developing without knowing what the end game is and how to get there is a classic mistake.
Project managers succumb to pressure from senior stakeholders who don’t understand the importance of planning and who have a naïve hope that the project can be delivered quicker if the planning stage is reduced.
2. Lack of attention to the project’s business case; many project managers fail to ensure that there is a sound rationale for undertaking the project.
They assume, often incorrectly, that the business case has been completed by senior management and don’t see the bigger picture, commercially and strategically.
Unfortunately this also means that projects oftentimes aren’t aligned to the to the organization’s strategic objectives.
3. Not completing an accurate project charter; many project managers operate at a surface level and leave out important information in the charter or project initiation document.
They fail to uncover what the project will deliver in detail and how it will go about delivering it.
They also make the mistake of not walking the stakeholders through the information in the charter; they simply chase a signature as opposed to gaining people’s genuine buy-in for this important planning document.
4. Not using product-based planning techniques; many project managers fail to make use of intuitive product-base planning techniques, such as product breakdown structures and product flow diagrams.
They don’t involve the team in the planning process and plan for the far future in too much detail. Oftentimes they fail to split the project into shorter phases with clear outcomes and deliverables that can provide early successes and benefits to the users.
5. Unclear scope and lack of detailed requirements; scope descriptions are often vague and open to interpretations and not enough thought has been given to what is out of scope.
Requirements are documented at too high a level, they are not baseline and changes aren’t tracked, assessed or incorporated into the project in a structured manner.
The result is scope creep, or in the worst case a project which fails to deliver what the customer needed.
6. Underestimating the project’s effort; it is a classic mistake that project managers underestimate the project’s effort, either as a result of not appreciating what needs to be delivered, or as a result of poor estimation processes.
They are often too optimistic; failing to challenge the estimates given to them and leaving out contingency to cover for risks and uncertainties.
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