A company cannot thrive and become more profitable by relying solely on old business ideas and practices. Its management must experiment with new concepts in order to adapt to the ever-changing market. Products and services can then be developed based on those ideas. It sounds simple enough, but the reality is far more complex. It’s one thing to come up with an idea, but quite another to build a project around it.
Things can become so chaotic that only a third of all projects make it through the production cycle on time and within the initial budget. This happens due to mistakes made by inexperienced project managers. We offer you 5 common management problems that arise from neglecting certain areas of project planning. By overcoming these, you will be able to manage projects effectively.
Failing to define the project’s goal is the biggest mistake managers make
According to several research papers by the American Project Management Institute, one-third of projects fail because the people developing them lack a clear vision. It’s one of the most common management problems. This is why it’s crucial to have a picture of what you are trying to achieve, how it will benefit the company and why customers would want to use it. Without this, any further work will be rendered meaningless.
Let’s take as an example a small mobile app company that wants to expand into the mobile video games market with a puzzle game. In this case, the following aspects would likely be discussed by developers:
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What are our target age groups?
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Should we make a 2D or 3D game?
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How many developers will we need to work on various aspects of the game, such as mechanics, level design, concept art, sound design, etc.?
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What kind of game engine should we use and will we have sufficient funds to get it licensed?
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How much will the game cost for the customer?
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How much of our profit will go to the company that made the engine?
All these questions have to be discussed during initial and subsequent company meetings. Managers and employees should agree on the best way of reaching project goals and the estimated timeframe to make this happen.
Top mistakes managers make – lack of requirements
When you plan a project, it’s important to understand what the final result will look like. This is one of the biggest mistakes made by managers. Managers are responsible for making a list of requirements for the project and providing it to employees. The list should include the following information:
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The number of employees required for different stages of project development
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Criteria for evaluating the quality of the project and its components
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The principles of dividing the workload among workers
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The project schedule
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The list of objectives the project will achieve for the company
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How often the project will be altered
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Initial budget size
This list also includes the final product that will be developed. In the case of a mobile video game, these can include concept artwork, audio samples, code for various elements of the game, such as mechanics, physics, visual effects animations, etc. Each listing must include an approximate release date.
Making up estimates is another common mistake managers make
Deadlines are one of the common management problems that arise during project development. A good manager has to stay in touch with their team and ask for updates on the progress within each team. Are they meeting their deadlines, or do they need more time to do everything properly?
Some unexpected event can emerge, and the entire project will have to be delayed. Should you fail to make the necessary calculations, you will be at risk of constantly postponing the deadline. In order to avoid any future problems, it is best to meet with every staff member and evaluate their work on time.
Neglecting risks is a common management problem
In theory, all your plans would surely fall into place every time, but in reality, any project can be subject to delays, missed deadlines, sick employees and other unfortunate events. Having a proper risk management programme cuts the potential of project failure almost in half. This process is not that hard to undertake but does require outlining many factors that could go wrong when working on a particular project. Your list of risks should include such events as:
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Failure to meet deadlines
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Working on additional features outside the original project scope
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Project scope alterations. Changes in project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadlines
A project manager’s task involves risk evaluation and establishing their impact on the project. For instance, you can ensure to appoint a deputy project manager who will be able to replace the head of the project and continue working in their absence. You may also encounter technical difficulties, such as an abrupt shift in used hardware or software that may require hiring additional employees. A contingency plan must encompass all possibilities of things going wrong for the project.
Mistakes made by managers – having a rigid schedule
There is no better way to ensure a steady workflow than by scheduling your team. The timetable has to provide clear information about the workload and deadlines. All schedules should allow some flexibility in case of unforeseen circumstances. If anyone working on a project has to take some time off due to illness, a family matter, an injury or some other circumstance, they can do so on reasonable terms. In that case, there must be someone to replace them in an emergency so that the pace of project development can be maintained.
It is vital to give your team members the same flexibility when suggesting new ideas to project managers that will benefit the project in general. Currently, there is a variety of solutions that make project management easier. These include Social Shared, Wrike, Slack, Procore and many others.
