Having the most basic skills and education is a great first step – but real-world project management is a completely different ball game. For every project manager in the making here are top 5 causes of project failure and how to overcome the same.
In-sufficient top level buy-in:
You have your project in place and you are all set to kickstart, but have you thought about the worst case scenario? If you answered in a no, then this point is for you. The senior management needs to be equally invested in your project as much as you are.
How to overcome?
Keep the senior managers informed of any and every issue regarding the project. Their involvement and guidance is crucial for keeping your project on track.
Unrealistic requirements and schedules:
Gathering all the requirements is one of the key steps of ensuring a successful project. But unrealistic schedules and requirements may hamper your project. When you try to move things too quickly, it will result into more expenditure to fix the issues in the long run.
How to overcome?
To be on the safe side, always think that your timelines are too demanding. Ask for more time in the planning stages to ensure that you have at hand all the necessary details.
Scope creep:
This is one of the major causes of project failure, this term simply means that you need to deliver more without putting in any additional time or resources.
How to overcome it?
You can avoid being the victim of scope creep, by clearly stating your part of the deal at the beginning of the project itself. You should be clear about what will be deliverable and also what will ‘not’ be deliverable.
Minimal user involvement:
As it is essential to involve the higher management so also it is important for you to get your users engaged in your project. Many a times minimal user involvement can be the reason for project failure.
How to overcome it?
You need to make sure that your users know what they are being offered with. Set up meetings with your users to make them understand the course of the project. These meetings will help you to get a reality check and inform on how the product or service has went down with its audience.
Lack of resources:
This might sound surreal, but this is true for many projects. A shortage in resources might act as an indicator that the project should not be taken forward.
How to overcome it?
Assess whether your project will experience a shortage of resources anytime soon. If yes, then work hard to fulfil all the demand and make sure that your project gets delivered on time.
