Mistakes In Project Management Case Study

Every project manager potentially faces countless mistakes that affect projects, cause delays and, in some cases, contribute to complete project failure.

Here are a few common mistakes in project management and how to avoid them:

1. Employing a Project Manager Lacking Experience

Knowledge of running status meetings, developing a project plan, managing risks and issues, and dealing with stakeholders is crucial to the successful outcome of the project.

Solution:

Whenever possible, Senior PMs can be shadowed by a junior counterpart.

This way, the new PM learns the ropes while on the job and in turn, the experienced PM has the satisfaction of passing on his hard-earned knowledge.

2. Poor Resource Matching

All too often, people are selected simply

12. Overreliance on Repeatable Processes

Companies may spend years creating an enterprise project management (EPM) methodology. The intent is that the methodology will be used on all projects for all customers and from cradle to grave. Having blind faith in the expectation that repeatable processes will solve problems is a mistake.

Solution:

Repeatable processes are NOT a replacement or substitute for management attention, effective decision-making, or problem-solving. They are simply tools for the PM to use, and as we all know, projects are managed by people rather than tools.

13. Ignoring Problems

All projects have problems. Inexperienced PMs believe that sufficient time exists to solve these problems only to discover that the costs of correcting these problems later on in the project life cycle was significantly more expensive than making the repairs in the earlier stages of the project.

Solution:

Project managers cannot be selective in which problems to solve. All project problems must be addressed, and the sooner the

Refusing to Ask for Help

One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced PMs is the belief that asking for help will make them seem incompetent in the eyes of their peers and management. Refusing to seek out help can result in schedule slippages, and cost overruns. If the PM delays too long in seeking help, the number of options to correct the problem can diminish.

Solution:

The owner should encourage PMs to ask for help at the earliest possible time, but not to expect the owner to be the dumping ground for all problems that the PM cannot resolve.

18. Believing in Saviors and Miracles

Perhaps the most common reason for failing to ask for help or ignoring a problem is that the PM is looking for a savior or a miracle to solve the problem. While miracles can occur, the chances of this happening are very, very low. Solution:

PMs need to develop early on in the project, a strategy for handling problems. Hope is not a strategy. Rather, it is a faulty rationalization for avoiding an issue.

19. Not telling the Client They are Wrong

Believing that the customer is always right is not necessarily correct in project management.