Whether you're just starting your project management career or having a lot of experience, you'll agree that it's not simple to be a project manager.
Through understanding the fundamentals of project management, you will continually stay on your feet to ensure that the project stays within all defined project limits, such as time, scope, budget, etc. Despite the availability of numerous resources, project management software, training materials, and versatile methodologies, companies often spend millions of dollars per year and fail to address the obstacles and problems they face in project management. Preventing that is the job of project managers but they face a lot of challenges in doing so. Below is a list of the nine most popular problems faced by project managers, along with advice about how to treat them as they happen. 1. Lack of Clear Targets and Criteria for Success Clarity is one of the most critical criteria for the project's successful completion, and the lack thereof causes many project management problems. A study reports that about 39 percent of projects fail due to lack of project preparation and an established target. It is also important for a project manager to develop a way through the setting of milestones and quality tests to quantify project progress. In addition to helping the team grow, having a clear set of goals will also enable project managers to protect their vision for the top management and customers. How to tackle it: Common goal setting strategies such as SMART and Simple will help the project manager come up with a set of successful goals from the start of the project that will help them to solve barriers to project management. 2. Communication Deficits For a productive project, good communication is of utmost importance. To ensure all stakeholders are active in the process, you need to provide timely and open forms of communication. Deloitte reports to 32 percent of professionals that communication is the major challenge in project management. Miscommunication is also hazardous to project teams as it affects teamwork. It can cause conflicts between members of the team and could potentially delay the project. How to tackle it: Often project managers rely on a range of teamwork and project management tools available on the market to ensure everybody remains up to date. Such collaboration tools not only make it easier for managers to carry out their duties but also make the team more visible and accountable to the project. 3. Budgeting Problems Most executives find financial problems one of the main obstacles in handling projects effectively. A survey conducted in 2017 found that the biggest obstacle they face in project management is 49.5 percent of production managers reporting costs. A manager may prevent numerous can problems that a project can face and aim for better and faster results by effectively controlling costs. How to tackle it: Of this purpose, a sound planning process and rational expectations must be followed to prevent any overruns in costs. 4. The Team Members Lack Sufficient Skills A chain is as strong as its weakest link and in the case of project teams, success depends heavily on their level of capability. You can create the most ideal environment as a project manager, but if the team lacks the skills necessary to handle the problem in hand, then your project is bound to fail. This is a major project management dilemma that can only be solved with good experience and foresight. How to tackle it: Good project managers pre-decide the appropriate expertise and assess the resources available to determine whether or not the current mission needs additional personnel. 5. Lack of Transparency When each member feels accountable, a project team performs well and strives to fulfill its assigned function. How to tackle it: Good project managers delegate due responsibility to the team and steer the team towards their shared objective of completing their project. 6. Scope Creep Scope creep is a common phenomenon for any project and is anticipated. There are moments when it can be advantageous but often the drawbacks outweigh the pros. In 2017, 52 percent of project teams reported a creep in the face of scope, and the trend continues to rise. Customers who don't know precisely what they want and who have unclear expectations are one of the greatest obstacles for both managers and the project team. How to tackle it: In the planning process, being careful with customer engagement will help you get their exact demands. It is also necessary not to take up requests for ad-hoc improvements, as this may lead to delays and unnecessary costs. 7. Insufficient Risk Control An important aspect of project management is having the foresight to identify potential 'what if' scenarios and compile contingency plans. Projects never go exactly as expected, since too many variables can generate endless opportunities. How to tackle it: It is the project manager's job to come up with alternate plans that the team can adopt if the project begins spiraling out of control. 8. Unrealistic Deadlines Another obstacle to project management is getting an unreasonable deadline which can adversely impact the quality of the finished product. Every good project manager understands the project team 's capacity and negotiates the project schedule by prioritizing the deadlines and tasks for the project accordingly. How to tackle it: In agile project management, taking feedback from all stakeholders collectively determines the velocity which is the indicator of the work performed in a single sprint. 9. The Involvement of Interested Stakeholders is Minimal Project managers must ensure that all project stakeholders are on the same page, and have a clear vision of the project. An uninvolved customer can cause a lot of issues in the final stages of a project so it is important to consider the input from the customer and keep it updated during the project. How to tackle it: Invite the client and other stakeholders into the project management process so they can participate directly in project shaping and feedback delivery.
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