6 Common Mistakes with Project Management to Avoid for Businesses

Poor project performance results in 9.9% of each dollar invested being wasted. That might not sound like much, but that’s $99,000 wasted for every $1 million spent on the project.

Mistakes with project management cost you money and can result in the project failing. You might find the project is over budget or not delivered on time. Poor project management practices can also leave employees feeling frustrated.

Keep reading to learn about project management mistakes so you can avoid them.

1. No Clear Objectives

Every project needs clear objectives that align with the company’s overall vision and goals. Not only do you need project objectives, but they should be easy to understand so all team members and stakeholders are clear. If team members don’t understand or everyone works from their own interpretations of the objectives, you’ll get mixed results and likely struggle to deliver the project successfully.

Your company’s project management maturity, detailed in this guide, can affect your approach to project management. A higher maturity level means your company is better able to develop a solid approach to project management, including having clear objectives. 

2. No Clear Processes

If you have clear objectives, do you have clear, documented processes to get there? Unclear processes result in your team being all over the place, each doing their own thing based on what they think needs to be done. Establishing clear processes creates a structure that allows the team to focus and complete the project efficiently and successfully.

3. Poor Communication

Project managers often fail at consistently and clearly communicating with team members and stakeholders. Without clear communication, stakeholders often misunderstand expectations or make assumptions, which slows down the process. Projects are constantly evolving, so it’s crucial to develop a consistent communication method and use it regularly to update all stakeholders on those changes.

4. Poor Team Management

Team members are often assigned project duties based on availability or positions. Assignments often overlook the skills and experience of each team member. Putting people on the right tasks based on their talent can improve your project results.

Micromanaging is another staffing issue that eats up the project manager’s time and leaves the team feeling frustrated. Trusting the team’s talents and decision-making allows everyone to put their skills to use and keep the project on time.

5. Inaccurately Estimating Time or Budget Needs

Inaccuracies in time and budget estimates can throw off your project and leave stakeholders dissatisfied. Underestimating the time and money involved can delay the project. Scope creep, which refers to adding to the scope as the project develops, can affect your time and budget estimates.

6. Lack of Evaluation

Just like your project needs objectives, it also needs an evaluation method to ensure you reach those objectives. Evaluation needs to happen throughout the project to make sure you’re on track. Milestones help you evaluate your progress on the project to ensure it’s on track.

Avoid Mistakes With Project Management

Mistakes with project management can severely derail any project. By being aware of common mistakes, you can create a strategy to avoid those issues in your projects.

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