Remember Beta max? Developed by Sony, it was supposed to be one of the leaders in the cassette recording industry in the mid-1970s. But, unfortunately, it failed to gain traction in the market where VHS technology of JVC was ruling at the time. So, what led to the failure of Betamax?
See, Betamax was an innovative product, undoubtedly. But, the market also had cheaper and better options than this product, making Betamax a failed product. The problem was Sony assumed that their project was complete once they reached the markets. They should have followed up on their work, analyzed the market data and evaluated what needed to be done to keep the project relevant.
Failure is a part of project management. But, that doesn’t mean you have to give in to the failures and let your dream project go to waste. You have to be on your toes unless you achieve your project goals and even after that. Check out the most common pitfalls you may face during project management and learn the tactics to deal with those.
1. Lack of team cooperation
Project management involves team members, a project manager and stakeholders. Each member contributes to the success of your project. What if the team members aren’t on the same page as you are? What if they are still stuck on the project initiation phase when they are supposed to be on the project execution phase? Your entire project gets destabilized if the team members aren’t on the same page.
What can you do?
- A majority of team members ignore long email threads. That’s why they tend to miss out on the conversations related to your project. So, it is better if you bring all your team and client conversations on a single page. You can do so via conference calls or CRM software.
- Every project consists of a schedule that includes a start date and an end date. You must stay on top of the schedule to know what’s coming up in your project management process.
- Know which team member works on what part. Make sure you receive all the notifications related to each task that you have assigned to all the members of your team.
2. Unrealistic deadlines
Let’s go back to your academic life for a second. How often have you opted for project management assignment helpbecause you thought you could meet the deadlines but ultimately you didn’t? You have to set a deadline for your projects as well. And you may end up losing your job if you don’t meet your deadlines in the professional world. Most project managers struggle hard to complete their projects within unrealistic deadlines.
What can you do?
- Have a thorough conversation with your clients and see if there are any unknown factors that drive the project deadlines.
- Clear your doubts if you have any regarding the completion of your project within urgent deadlines. This will help you keep things transparent between you and your clients.
- You can take care of the deadlines through impeccable planning, alterative analysis and seamless communication. You should be aware of the real-time progress of your project.
3. Poorly defined project goals
You may not realise it now, but poorly defined goals and objectives put your projects in danger. The goal is the basic foundation of your overall project. The goal is what motivates your team and helps you achieve success and customer satisfaction. So, you can only imagine how hectic it would be complete the project if the project goal itself is vague. Your team members might not know exactly what to expect from the project. And eventually, it is doomed to fail.
What can you do?
- Identify what’s important to you, your clients and the rest of the people involved in the project. Set the project goals based on this importance. After all, it should mean something to you and your team members as well.
- Set specific, measurable, attainable and realistic goals that you have confidence in. You don’t want regrets after setting goals.
- Finally, define the objectives to understand how, why, when and what you need to do for the project planning based on your goals.
4. Inability to manage scope creep
Scope creep occurs when the deliverable, scope or even features of a project expands beyond the original limits. It can affect any fixed scope project and make it very difficult for project managers to proceed with the same project. At times, your clients may want more functionality for the same budget and this is something every project manager fears. It is not easy to implement new changes because even a single change can take a toll on the success of your project. Scope creep can make you miss a deadline or burn through the entire budget and a lot more.
What can you do?
- Outline every step of your project through a clear schedule. Share the schedule with your clients and team members as well. That way, your clients will also be aware of all the steps in your project and may think twice before adding any new requirements.
- Determine the goals of your project such as cost, quality and schedule through proper planning and understanding of your client needs.
- Make realistic assumptions about the deadlines and resource availability that will help you achieve quality results. There aren’t any 100% anti-scope-creep solutions. But, you can always document what is happening throughout your project.
Wrapping Up
Whether you have to build dams or construct a building, project management is the only effective way to achieve your goals. But, the process is not that easy. You may encounter a wide slew of challenges while trying to meet your project management goals. Hopefully, this article has briefed you about the common pitfalls in the project management process and now you can deal with those challenges with the utmost precision.
