Good Project Management is determinant for the success of a company. With organization and good progress of activities, results come more efficiently.
We are always susceptible to mistakes and successes. So, we have listed some of the mistakes made most often when it comes to Project Management and brought some tips to help you be a successful manager!
Continue reading and check it out.
1. Lack of Planning
In order to be carried out successfully, every activity needs planning. It is necessary to pay attention to the project’s completion time, a list of which professionals need to be involved and think of the best methodology to plan and execute each of the stages.
It is at this time that important points should be considered, such as:
- Objectives
- Scope
- Stages
- Deadlines
- Resources (budget, tools, human)
One of the methodologies used in this phase is Design Thinking, which is premised on thinking about the whole project in a collaborative way, taking into account the vision of the client and each of the professionals involved, with their respective experiences and training.
It is important that the planning is complete before starting the stages.
2. Communication Issues
The manager must pay attention to the way that the entire team will communicate during the project. It is important that everyone is aligned in relation to everything that is decided in the planning stage.
Furthermore, it is important to listen to the opinion of the professionals who are involved in each stage, so that the vision of the project is complete.
In addition to communication with the team, it is also important to ensure good communication with the customer, so that there is good monitoring and if changes are required, they can be informed within the deadlines.
Both with the team and with the customer, a good tip to maintain great communication is to have a step-by-step project, as well as deadlines and status of activities accessible to those involved, and frequent status meetings and project updates.
3. Negligence in Risk Management
Every project has risks. This is a maxim that has to be clear in Project Management and to all team members.
Knowing how to analyze all stages of the process, right at the planning stage, and predicting the problems that may appear in each of them is essential to ensure good execution and avoid being caught by unforeseen events.
One way to assemble a risk spreadsheet is to bring the team together to think about possible situations that may occur and what the expected consequences are. Whether in relation to scope, term, budget or quality, it is important to have alternatives to mitigate or solve possible problems.
4. Poorly Defined Deadlines
As already mentioned, an important part of the project is deadlines.
In addition to the deadline for delivery of a project, it is necessary to pay attention to the deadlines of each activity, taking into account the impact of one activity on the other and the time required to complete each stage of the process.
The time limits should be well-defined and realistic. The manager must make it clear to the team that if something is delayed or turns out other than planned, this must be communicated as soon as possible so that the next stages can be adapted.
It is important to know that deadlines can be adjusted for many reasons, but it is also necessary to be aware that one cannot make things too flexible so that there are no significant problems in the final delivery.
Therefore, it is important to think carefully about the deadlines, considering the necessary time to perform the tasks, approval, internal changes, customer feedback, among other steps that require time.
5. Lack of Observation of the Human Factor
People are an important part of projects. Human resources must also be well evaluated and studied by the project manager.
From the choice of professionals according to their training and experience to the understanding that people have different personalities, task execution time and motivations, it is important to pay attention to people.
It seems simple, but making it clear what is expected of each of the team members and documenting it is a way to avoid problems in relation to the activities.
As previously mentioned, discussing planning, raising risks, making deadlines accessible and having healthy and open communication between team and manager, facilitates work that involves more people.
Furthermore, maintaining a relationship of mutual respect, remaining open to giving and listening to feedback and working with empathy are attitudes that also contribute to the success of a project.
If you want to learn more about project management, have contact with current tools and methods, and develop management skills with a global view, check out the Competitive Project Management at the State University of New York.
For those of you who are already managers and wish to improve their project management skills, with a global view focused on the human factor and to stand out, find out about the Advanced Topics in Project Management at the University of La Verne in California.
In both courses, you will have a unique experience of developing a global business vision, taking classes with Ph.D. professors and sharing the class with professionals from around the world, which can help you to know new forms of business and expand your network.
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