Learn From My Project Mistakes
When I look back at the last 20 years, I can see the lessons I learned in each of my projects. Some lessons came from my wins, like the times I delivered ahead of schedule. Others were tougher to handle – like when I had to navigate roadblocks that came out of nowhere.
Bottom line? As a project manager, consultant, and PM trainer, all my experiences have shaped how I approach new challenges.
I’d like to share my most valuable lessons with you to help you improve the performance of your teams and make your projects more successful.
Lesson 1: Not using a project framework leads to rework
Early in my career, I worked in automotive as a process engineer making improvements to a production line. I knew the work I was doing was critical to the line’s efficiency, but because I didn’t see the initiative as a project, I mostly dealt with things as they came up.
You can probably guess what happened. There was a lot of rework and timelines had to be extended. If I’d had a clear scope statement, charter, timeline, and action plan – and clear expectations – those issues could have been avoided.
The key takeaway?A proper framework helps to minimize rework for anything with a start date, end date, and a deliverable.
Lesson 2: Don’t give in to the pressure to get started before you get clear on project scope and requirements
I was hired as a project consultant by a leading global tech company to help figure out why a complex project was struggling to get off the ground – there was immense pressure to get the project started.
Once I dug in I found that the key concepts and ideas had been vetted, but the project’s scope and requirements were unclear. In order to clarify, we were forced to add in brainstorming sessions, which added months onto the project timeline. Only then were we able to build a solid project plan and get things off the ground.
The key takeaway? All the urgency in the world won’t guarantee quick outcomes if project scope and requirements aren’t clear.
Three more valuable lessons
I’ve got three more stories to share with you about things I learned the hard way. Why not learn from my mistakes and check out the video I made where I dive into them. In it I talk about:
- A project where I faced huge resistance to change
- The time I learned the hard way about the need to trust your team
- A massive project where I had to put on the brakes so we could deal with risk
Follow me over to YouTube to learn more!
I took everything I learned about project management and packaged it my SLAY Project Management online course. It’s a practical, step-by-step course full of real world project advice and tons of downloadable project templates.
And, after helping so many companies fix their project issues with my course, I created my SLAY Project Management Corporate Program that includes my online course plus a corporate support hub. Be sure to check them out.
Adriana Girdler, PMP | Creator of Slay Project Management™
P.S. Check out what one of my students said recently about SLAY:
“I invested in the SLAY Project Management course after watching Adriana’s YouTube videos and being inspired to become a better PM. She helped me better understand the lifecycle of project management with real-world examples, and her skills and experience are the perfect combo for the mentor I was looking for. Forever grateful for her continuous support!” LG
