Mistakes to avoid in Project Management

When it comes to managing your projects, you should know that mistakes can and will happen evenrnin the most meticulously-planned ones. It is more important for project managers to understandrnhow team members and they themselves can learn from such mistakes and never repeat them again.rnNevertheless, these are some areas where Project Management can decrease the possibility of mistakesrnand errors from happening. Communication is keyrnYou can never have too much communication between team members. It is important for you, asrnproject manager, to ensure that every team member involved is updated constantly – be it on what isrngenerally happening with the project, its time-frames and dependencies, as well as on their role.rnWhen you don’t communicate often with the team member, what you believe is a looming disaster – yourrnteam may only treat it as some minor glitch. Make sure you tell all project members what information isrnrequired, the format of the report, and how often you would like to be informed.

Define the goals and expectations clearly
Set goals and expectations of the project from the get go and communicate this information tornall stakeholders clearly. Define the time, details, and resources, as well as the budget so that eachrnstakeholder knows what to expect and no one will get disappointed. Don’t over-promise just to impressrnstakeholders. It is more important for you to set accurate and realistic timelines for the project.

Flexibility is required, but set the limit
When you started the project, your stakeholders will most likely come up with a long list of wishes.rnWhile you should try to be flexible in accommodating those wishes, only you as the PM and your teamrnmember that know what is really feasible and applicable. You may have to be flexible and accept somernchanges proposed by the stakeholder, but learn to say no if you know that the wishes will bring thernproject to over budget territory.

Don’t start until you hear the whistle
Before you have a signed any contract and all the terms have been agreed by the two sides – yournshouldn’t try to start the project early. This is especially true in the case of a new client. It is notrnuncommon for customers to have a change of heart and opinion – one that may leave you in the red.rnUnless you already build a long term relationship with the client, always wait until you prepare all thernnecessary documents and agreements.

Risk management isn’t an option
When it comes to cutting corners, some project managers treat risk management as an option. Fact ofrnthe matter is, risk management is something mandatory – should you wish you avoid any surprises alongrnthe way. Take the time to brainstorm with the team about the risks and properly estimate and calculaternthem in the planning and controlling phases of the project.

To conclude, it is not always possible to avoid errors and mistakes 100% in a project. But thesernguidelines should help reduce the possibility of their occurrences. The biggest mistake of them all is onernthat you will face when you are not learning from past mistakes.