Dodge Common Pitfalls and Plan Projects Like a Pro
If I’ve learned anything in my many years managing projects, it’s that time spent on project planning is worth its weight in gold. Setting things up properly at the start goes a LONG way towards making sure your project finishes on time, within budget, and with your sanity intact!
Getting planning right can be tough for new PMs though – so read on for my take on the most common project planning mistakes, as well as my tips for how to avoid them.
Planning mistake #1: Not getting clear on priorities
When you’re planning a vacation, you need an exact destination in mind so you can plan all the steps to get there. You also need to know what’s flexible – your itinerary, your budget, or your travel dates? It’s no different when you start planning a project.
You can’t plan effectively unless you are crystal clear on priorities, otherwise your project will lack direction and can quickly get off course, which wastes time and resources.
When I plan a project, I always take the time to clarify project priorities and identify what’s fixed and what’s flexible in terms of time, scope, and budget. Then I can work on outlining my project goals and objectives in a scope statement and project charter.
When you skip this step you’re asking for trouble!
Planning mistake #2: Not creating a risk management plan
This part of project planning can be so tempting to skip. A lot of new PMs think, “We have to get going so we’ll deal with risk if it shows up.” Big mistake. When you don’t plan for risk it exposes your project to all kinds of issues that can quickly derail progress.
When you brainstorm with your team to identify possible risks, put contingency plans in place, and assign responsibilities for mitigating risk, you are prepared ahead of time. That means when risk shows up – and trust me, it will – it won’t throw your entire project for a loop.
3 more planning mistakes to avoid
I want to tell you about three more project planning mistakes you should steer clear of and share my tips for how to avoid them. Check out this video I made that goes over them in detail. It explains:
- A planning error that leads to disorganized projects
- How to avoid disengagement, low morale, and lack of accountability
- The best way to avoid missed deadlines and frustrated teams
- What to identify early to steer clear of budge overruns and team burnout
Follow me over to YouTube and we’ll keep chatting about this!
Want to make ensure you succeed in your project manager role? Be sure you check out my SLAY Project Management course where I give you all the document templates, tips, and techniques you need to make every project successful.
Adriana Girdler, PMP | Creator of Slay Project Management™
