There are some project management errors that are obvious. For example, we all know that promising too much and not being able to deliver is a real issue, and it is a trap that is easy to fall into. However, there are a number of project management mistakes that businesses are making without even realising it, and they are jeopardising chances of success. So, let’s take a look at these errors in more detail…
Lack of sufficient detail in the project plan
Most project managers recognise the importance of having a project management plan. However, a lot of project managers do not recognise how important it is to make their plan detailed. If you do not have enough detail in your plan, you will usually end up with a project that is not efficient in terms of scheduling tasks and runs into problems related to task dependencies. Not only this, but your team members may not be as committed as you need them to be because they don’t fully understand their responsibilities so this is definitely one of the project management errors to avoid.
An organisational culture that is not ready for project management
This is a big one! If people are given special project assignments without the right resources, training or tools to execute them, then you have a project culture that is highly unproductive while also being very damaging to your business as a whole. This can lead to wasting money as a consequence of failed projects which can also have a knock-on effect on company reputation.
Failing to embrace project management training
Some businesses overlook the importance of professional training, PM Qualifications and continuous professional development (CPD) for their project managers and teams. Many people fall into the role of project manager, and because everything seems to be running smoothly, they assume training is not required. However, there are always new things to be learnt from the accumulated best practice of the project management profession. Not only this, but project management training will improve employee morale, which will make your project team feel more loyalty to their job and the company. This is a great way to boost retention rates.
Running projects that do not fit with the organisation’s strategic direction
Last but not least, this is another of the big project management errors that a lot of businesses do not realise they are making. Too often, there are project teams and project managers that are working on projects that are not adding any value to the organisation. These projects do not support the replacement, enhancement, and/or development of processes, products, or services, and they do not support departmental or organisational strategic plan either.
If you are committing any of the project management mistakes and errors that have been discussed above, it is important to put steps in place to rectify them. Once you do, you are bound to notice that it makes a significant difference to your business for the better. So, make sure your projects fit with your strategic direction, ensure your organisational culture is ready, embrace project management training, and put together a detailed project plan.
