It is fair to say that project management is an area that is booming at present. As a consequence, there is a plethora of information on the internet offering advice, and not all of it is accurate. But don’t fret – this post aims to debunk some of the most common project management myths. Let’s take a look…
Project management training is only for those starting out
Many people have a tendency to assume that project management courses are just for those starting out on their career, yet this is definitely not the case. There are a number of advanced courses that are designed to help project managers advance their project management skills and achieve more in their current role as well as open up opportunities to develop their career opportunities to the very highest levels. Plus, new technologies and trends are being implemented all of the time, so it is important to stay abreast of these.
Deadlines are more important than quality of work
This is most certainly not the case! Some project managers make the mistake of always focusing on the deadline that has been set, and by doing this they can lose sight of the quality of the product. You should never sacrifice quality and rush a deliverable. Instead, speak to the client, inform them of the predicament, and you will find that they are either willing to extend the deadline if it means the deliverable will be to the standard they are expecting or cut back on some “nice to have” features without damaging final quality.
You need to have technical knowledge of your domain
This is not the case either because project management skills are common across all industries. A project manager can have a different background to the field they are managing and be highly successful in the role providing they have the right PM qualities, training and support. Of course, it can be beneficial to have a basic understanding of an industry, and this is something a project manager may take upon himself or herself if they are going to be working in that domain for a long period of time. However, it is not a requirement to have technical knowledge, as is widely believed.
Only meetings are crucial to communication
There is little denying that effective communication is of paramount importance when managing a project. Nonetheless, this does not mean that meetings are the only factor when communicating successfully. There are many elements that come into this, ranging from email communication to using collaboration platforms. In fact, one of the most important factors is being able to choose the right mode of communication.
Project management software will cost a fortune
Last but not least, some businesses overlook how vital project management software is because they simply view it as an expense. In fact, not having project management software could cost you much more money because your project teams won’t be able to work as efficiently so will take longer to complete projects.
Considering just these few project management myths and working to overcome them can significantly improve the success of projects across a company, enabling projects to be delivered more efficiently and more reliably.
