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Project managers are always under pressure to meet deadlines and ensure the project reaches a successful completion within the stipulated time. They are often prone to making technical and judgmental errors along the way.
According to Vladimir Galabov, the principal analyst and cloud and data center research expert at Omdia, UK, having a little foresight into what can possibly go wrong can help a project manager navigate some of the common pitfalls of most projects face.
Vladimir points out the following common mistakes that project managers make in the course of their work and how to avoid them.
Focusing on Symptoms Rather Than Diagnosing the Real Problem
The pursuit of perfection leads many new project managers to pay more attention to consequences when they should be locating the root cause of the problem.
Vladimir Galabov calls this a short-sighted approach that will most likely lead you to a time-wasting loop where you keep on repeating the same issue over and over again. Finding the root cause of the problem will help you to avoid constant repetitions.
Vlad recommends finding out the real cause of the problem before you take any steep. Is the issue caused by lack of communication or is it due to unclear project goals? Is it a result of unrealistic time and resource expectations? Try to identify what may have gone wrong in order to avoid similar issues in future projects.
Failure to Use the Right Tools
Since the earliest stage of human evolution, tools were designed to make life easier and help you achieve your goals faster. The same concept applies to project management software and tools.
However, many project management tools tend to be a bit complex and may come with a steep learning curve. According to Vladimir Galabov, it would be a mistake to avoid using a project management tool just because you believe it’s too complicated for you and your team.
“Take time to understand how different features of the tool can help and you will soon be asking for more features,” says Vladimir.
Making the Same Mistake Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results
According to Vladimir, one other common mistake made by new project managers is failure to learn from their first mistake and having it occur again and again. Vlad recommends taking time to do a “post mortem” and identify how a mistake occurred before progressing to the next step of the project.
Find out why it happened, what you did to solve it, and what impact it had on your project. You can then hold a meeting with your team to discuss the issue and how it can be avoided in the future.
How to Avoid Project Management Mistakes
As a seasoned analyst, Vladimir Galabov gives some recommendations on how to avoid most of the common mistakes project managers face in the course of their work.
Some of the key recommendations he gives include the following:
Identify Key Stakeholders
It is important to identify key stakeholders and hold them accountable for their departments at the beginning of the project.
For instance, experienced project managers create a Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed (RACT) model at the start of the project to ensure that everyone understands his or her responsibilities before the work commences.
However, you will still need to find the right stakeholders, which is often the difficult part of the process. You can identify the right candidates based on their activity level and performance in previous projects.
Be Prepared for the Unexpected
According to Vladimir Galabov, every day is different for every project manager. You may have planned for everything to the last detail and even calculated all the risks and put mitigation measures in place but be prepared for unexpected surprises when least expected.
“The best you can do is to learn how to manage the ever-shifting conditions of your work,” says Vladimir. “Always expect the unexpected.”
Make the Best Use of Available Technology
Every savvy project manager understands the value of embracing technology to make his or her life easier. Fortunately, there are many productivity and monitoring tools available today to help you track your project and ensure that each member of your team plays his or her role.
However, keep in mind that tools can only work if you know how to use them. “The tool or software you use is only as good as the data you feed it and how you monitor the reports it gives,” says Vladimir. It is therefore important to have consistent data entry and keep track of the dashboard to ensure successful outcomes.
Harness the Power of Automation Whenever Possible
Automation is gradually becoming a major trend in almost every aspect of life today. For project managers, Vladimir Galabov recommends using automation tools where possible.
“When you find yourself doing the same action over and over again using similar variables, you may consider finding ways to automate the process to save time and resources,” says Vladimir.
Automation may involve using the software you have or even outsourcing repeatable tasks to third parties and other external sources. You will save time and money by reducing repetitive tasks and focusing on the work you and your team can do.
