A company cannot develop and become more profitable by relying solely on outdated business ideas and practices. Management must experiment with new concepts to adapt to the constantly changing market. Products and services can then be developed based on those ideas. Sounds straightforward enough, but the reality is far more complex. It's one thing to come up with an idea, but it's an entirely different matter to build a project around it.
Things can become so out of hand that only a third of all projects are completed on time and within the initial budget. This occurs as a result of mistakes made by inexperienced project managers. We present you with 5 common management problems that arise from neglecting certain aspects of project planning. Once overcome, you will be able to manage projects effectively.
Failing to define the project’s goal is the biggest mistake made by managers
According to several research papers from the American Project Management Institute, one-third of projects fail because those developing them lack a clear vision. It’s one of the most common management issues. That's why it is essential to have a clear picture of what you are attempting to achieve, how it will benefit the company, and why customers would want to use it. Otherwise, any further work will be rendered meaningless.
Let’s consider the example of a small mobile app company wanting to expand into the mobile video games market with a puzzle game. In this case, the following topics would likely be discussed by developers:
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What are our target age groups?
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Should we develop a 2D or 3D game?
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How many developers will we need to work on various aspects of the game, e.g., mechanics, level design, concept art, sound design, etc.?
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What kind of game engine should we use and will we have enough budget 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 developed the engine?
All these questions must be discussed during initial and subsequent company meetings. Managers and employees should agree on the best approach to reach project goals and the estimated time it will take to achieve this.
Top mistakes managers make – lack of requirements
When planning 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 creating 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 will the project 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 entry must include an approximate release date.
Making up estimates is another common mistake managers make
Deadlines are one of the common management issues that emerge during project development. A competent manager must stay in touch with their team and ask for progress updates within each team. Are they meeting their deadlines or do they need more time to complete everything properly?
Some unexpected issues may arise, causing the entire project to be delayed. If you fail to make the necessary calculations, you risk constantly postponing the deadline. To avoid any future problems, it is advisable to meet every staff member and evaluate their work in due time.
Neglecting risks is a common management problem
In theory, all your plans would seamlessly 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 reduces the potential of project failure significantly. This process is not difficult 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 of the original project scope
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Project scope alterations, including changes in project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadline
A project manager’s task involves risk evaluation and assessing their impact on the project. For example, 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 change in hardware or software used 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 must provide clear information about the workload and deadlines. All schedules should allow some flexibility to account for unforeseen circumstances. If anyone working on a project needs to take time off due to illness, a family matter, injury, or some other circumstance, they should be able to do so within reasonable terms. Consequently, there must be someone to replace them in case of an emergency so that the pace of project development is maintained.
It is crucial to give your team members the same flexibility when suggesting new ideas to project managers that will benefit the project in general. Currently, there are a variety of solutions that make project management easier, including Social Shared, Wrike, Slack, Procore and many others.
