What are the top 10 project management mistakes you should avoid? If you’re consistently missing important project deadlines or KPIs, you might be making one or more of these frequent project management mistakes.

Making a mistake at work is unavoidable. In fact, many of us are likely to have made similar errors, and while it may feel like a complete disaster at the moment, it is our willingness to recover and learn from our mistakes that eventually makes us better at our jobs.

Many project management blunders are costing projects a lot of money and preventing them from being completed properly, leaving them in limbo for a long time.  Among all the project management mistakes here is our pick on 10 project management mistakes you should avoid doing.

1. Choosing the wrong project manager

When resources are assigned for a project, the majority of the work is focused on locating the best resources rather than hiring the best project manager. Project managers are frequently chosen based on their availability rather than their skill set. In that case, a project manager without any skills will be unable to lead the project.

Selecting an unskilled or unsuitable project manager can really derail a project before it even begins, so to avoid this blunder, take the time to find a project manager whose talents match the work requirements.

2. Keeping the entire project plan in your head

 You may believe that the project plan is precise and that there is no need to document it since you believe you can do everything in your head. Sorry, but you can’t, even if you recollect everything. It’s one of the most stressful ways to do the job, as the project becomes more and more intricate.

Additionally, you are unable to present your work to the project board, customer, or team who will be working on it. Our solution to this problem is to have a simple Gantt chart. Trust us, it will be really useful in this situation since it clearly displays who will do what and when.

3. Not using project management software

Smart project managers are always aware of how to get the most of available technology and resources. Many successful firms, believe it or not, are already using one or more project management tools to do the job quickly.

Project management tools are primarily used to assist managers in planning, executing, and controlling all parts of the project management process. If you utilize them correctly, these tools will help you improve resource efficiency and project tracking, whether you’re working on a major or small project.

4. Working on too many projects at the same time

Managers frequently make the mistake of believing that working on multiple tasks at the same time is more effective. In actuality, the situation is the polar opposite. When people multitask, they work slower and the quality of their job decreases as a result. Because there are bottlenecks here and there, these delays cause all projects to fall behind schedule.

Limit all other tasks while individuals focus on a major project to avoid this problem. As a result, everyone participating can devote more time to their jobs and deal with issues as they arise.

5. Timelines that are unrealistic

Project managers naturally want to impress their superiors and clients, but the inappropriate way to do it is to set unrealistic or optimistic deadlines. What will happen is that you will miss all of your deadlines or that you will burn out your personnel by working overtime, resulting in a loss of confidence between the client and the project manager. Instead, control your timeline with project management software, and be sure to include a time and budget buffer in your project.

6. Lack of communication

Every relationship requires communication, but none more so than between you and your project team. One of the fastest ways to kill a project is to fail to communicate with your team and customer correctly, or at all. You and your team will have a better sight of your project’s progress and be able to proactively recognize and fix any difficulties that arise by fostering a culture of open communication and establishing some easy communication methods from the start, such as regular check-ins and deliverable evaluations.

Similarly, by improving your team’s communication, you can keep your client informed with real-time project updates and prevent embarrassing due date delivery discussions.-

7. Not being able to follow a process

Most projects begin with optimism only to wind up having no clue where they are going or what they will do because they do not have a clear idea of where they are going or what they will do. Create a work schedule that outlines who is responsible for what, as well as when these tasks are required and should be completed. Remember to include milestones so they can see how close they are to the finish line.

8.  Micromanaging your team

A good leader is one who has faith in his team and allows them to make their own decisions. That is exactly what you must do as a project manager. Micromanaging your team may lead to employee dissatisfaction and have an adverse effect on the work environment, as no one likes working for a dominating team leader or manager.

9. Not evaluating your project

It’s unfortunate that many project managers avoid analyzing a project after completing it. Review the project at least once, regardless of the outcome. This will allow you to construct a list of all the things you’ve learned. You’ll also be cautious if similar problems emerge in the future.

Meet with project management for a quick meeting. Ask questions and keep track of what worked and what didn’t. Consider innovative strategies and ideas that could have aided the project as well as other critical considerations. Keep them in a convenient location where everyone can access them.

10. Lack of objectives

Any project’s success might be harmed by poor planning that results in a poorly defined goal. One of the problems with project management is the inability to come up with a simple goal. There is also a requirement for success indicators. Make sure the members comprehend what they need to know right away.

Summary

So, what is your thought about our list of 10 project management mistakes you should avoid? These errors can be readily prevented with proper preparation and communication. Tell us what you do and how you avoid and deal with project management mistakes in the comments box. We’d be happy to hear from you.

Inthera is a Canada-based consulting company with a track record of providing successful IT consultation globally. Our main motto is to Provide quicker, faster, and reliable consulting services to our clients. We have a team of multi-skilled Consultants who can perform several roles on your initiatives (that of a thought leader, a strategist, a tactical consultant, a facilitator, and an implementer) as needed.