Mistakes to avoid in Project Management

When it comes to managing your projects, you should know that mistakes can and will happen even
in the most meticulously-planned ones. It is more important for project managers to understand
how team members and they themselves can learn from such mistakes and never repeat them again.
Nevertheless, these are some areas where Project Management can decrease the possibility of mistakes
and errors from happening.

Communication is key
You can never have too much communication between team members. It is important for you, as
project manager, to ensure that every team member involved is updated constantly – be it on what is
generally happening with the project, its time-frames and dependencies, as well as on their role.
When you don’t communicate often with the team member, what you believe is a looming disaster – your
team may only treat it as some minor glitch. Make sure you tell all project members what information is
required, the format of the report, and how often you would like to be informed.

Define the goals and expectations clearly
Set goals and expectations of the project from the get go and communicate this information to
all stakeholders clearly. Define the time, details, and resources, as well as the budget so that each
stakeholder knows what to expect and no one will get disappointed. Don’t over-promise just to impress
stakeholders. It is more important for you to set accurate and realistic timelines for the project.

Flexibility is required, but set the limit
When you started the project, your stakeholders will most likely come up with a long list of wishes.
While you should try to be flexible in accommodating those wishes, only you as the PM and your team
member that know what is really feasible and applicable. You may have to be flexible and accept some
changes proposed by the stakeholder, but learn to say no if you know that the wishes will bring the
project to over budget territory.

Don’t start until you hear the whistle
Before you have a signed any contract and all the terms have been agreed by the two sides – you
shouldn’t try to start the project early. This is especially true in the case of a new client. It is not
uncommon for customers to have a change of heart and opinion – one that may leave you in the red.
Unless you already build a long term relationship with the client, always wait until you prepare all the
necessary documents and agreements.

Risk management isn’t an option
When it comes to cutting corners, some project managers treat risk management as an option. Fact of
the matter is, risk management is something mandatory – should you wish you avoid any surprises along
the way. Take the time to brainstorm with the team about the risks and properly estimate and calculate
them in the planning and controlling phases of the project.


To conclude, it is not always possible to avoid errors and mistakes 100% in a project. But these
guidelines should help reduce the possibility of their occurrences. The biggest mistake of them all is one
that you will face when you are not learning from past mistakes.