This informal CPD article ‘Project Management Problems’ was provided by London Optimum Training & Consultancy (LOTC), a UK-based training and consultancy provider committed to professional development and organisational performance.
Many projects go wrong for simple reasons, usually linked to poor planning, communication, or control (1). Understanding what can go wrong in project management, and how to deal with it, helps project managers avoid common mistakes and improve the chance of success.
Clear goals and objectives
When a project does not have clear goals and objectives, and these are not clearly stated and understood by the project manager and their project team, it becomes almost impossible to plan appropriate activities within the overall project, as there is no clear target to work towards. An objective such as ‘improve customer service’ does not help the team plan effective activities and does not help them assess the effectiveness of the overall project (2).
Project managers should make sure the project goals are clear from the start and written in simple language that everyone understands. Agree these goals with the key stakeholders and check that the whole team knows what the project is trying to achieve.
Stakeholder involvement
The lack of active involvement from key sponsors and stakeholders can undermine a project (3). Without senior sponsor participation in planning, monitoring and implementation, the project manager and team are likely to experience a range of negative consequences. You can ensure that the senior sponsors and stakeholders are involved from the beginning and stay involved throughout the project. Keep them informed, ask for their input, and make sure they support important decisions when needed.
Communication
When project objectives are communicated poorly, problems are likely to arise. Even if a project has clear goals and objectives, failing to communicate them effectively across the team and business can lead to difficulties during planning and implementation (4). You can talk about the project goals regularly and make sure they are shared clearly with the team and the wider business. You can use meetings, emails, and updates to remind people what the project is about and what success looks like.
Clear responsibility
People are unclear about who is responsible for what. The simplest of mistakes often occur from a lack of basic, clear delegation of tasks. This leads to omissions in the project. When time and resources are critical, there is no excuse for unclear responsibilities (5). You can be clear about who is responsible for each task and deliverable. Make sure everyone knows what they are expected to do and check in regularly to avoid confusion or missed work.
Scope creep
The scope of the project creeps up. If the objective and project deliverables are not clearly established, then there is a danger that the project will suffer from ‘scope creep’. This means that the project will be expected to deliver more benefits that were originally planned, resulting in it being late, over budget, or both (6). The project manager should clearly define and document the project scope and deliverables at the start of the project. Any proposed changes should be assessed through a formal change control process to understand their impact on time, cost, and resources before approval is given.
Final thoughts
Most problems in project management can be avoided by doing the basics well. Clear goals, good communication, clear responsibilities, and control over changes all help a project run more smoothly and deliver the agreed results.
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REFERENCES
(1) The Standish Group. (2015). CHAOS Report.
(2) Doran, G. T. (1981). There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. Management Review, 70(11), 35-36.
(3) Project Management Institute (PMI). (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute, Inc.
(4) Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (12th ed.). Wiley.
(5) Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., & Mantel Jr, J. K. (2011). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Wiley.
(6) Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2017). Project Management: The Managerial Process (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
