3 Major Project Management Pitfalls

Managing a successful project means doing a whole lot more than coming up with a good plan and making sure the work gets done on time.  Instead, if you really want to be a successful project manager, you’ve got to avoid these 3 pitfalls at all costs…

1.  Not talking to your people
Just because you’re in charge doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from other people’s point of view.  In fact, the best brainstorming sessions come from a variety of sources!  That’s because your employees can help you think of different things (or even just different angles) that you never would have been able to think of all by yourself.

As an added benefit, getting everyone else’s input boosts morale.  It means people feel like they’re part of a team, instead of just cogs in the machine.  In the end, your employees will probably do a much better job if they know that you value their opinions and take their ideas seriously.

The communication can’t end when your planning does, though.  Good project managers will take feedback during the project just as seriously as they do before the project starts.  That way, if any issues pop up along the way, you can do whatever it takes to correct them.

2.  Not dividing up the work
As a project manager, it can be tempting to want to do everything yourself or, at least, personally oversee everything – especially if your head is the one on the chopping block is something goes wrong!

However, failing to delegate is another big morale-killer.  It makes people think that you don’t trust them or that you think they’re not capable.

Plus, failing to delegate can slow down the entire project.  After all, you’re being paid to manage the project – not do the whole thing.  If you could do it all by yourself, you wouldn’t need employees in the first place!  The last thing you need is to become a bottleneck in your own project.

3.  Not being a leader
There is a huge difference between being the boss and being a leader.  If you want to be a good project manager, you need to strive to be a leader.

What exactly does that mean?

Leaders don’t just hand out instructions.  They also inspire their employees and keep their passion going even when things get rough.  Leaders create an atmosphere where people want to move forward and be successful – not just treat their work like any ol’ project.

In the end, leaders generate much better results, and they have much happier employees, who finish projects on time and are eager to start on the next one.