Project failure is not uncommon. In fact, if you do a little research you will see that a large percentage of projects end-up failing. A lot of factors contribute in untimely completion and project failures. Take a look at some of the most common causes and ways to combat them -
1. Unclear requirements - Being unclear on project goals/requirements is very common. A lot of times teams work without this awareness. The only solution to this problem is to be mindful about the project goals during the planning phase. Once you’re clear on the objectives, share it with everyone. You can write those objective and requirements using notes in a project management software online and share it with team members. 2. Poor communication - It should not be surprising that poor communication is on the list. Healthy communication is crucial because that’s the only way to keep everyone aware of the progress as well as problems. Poor communication creates a gap in team’s knowledge. This can lead to poor sense of coordination. To avoid your team from experiencing that, make sure to have open lines of communication. Use a communication software and ask everyone to stay available on it all the time. 3. Inaccurate time estimation - Every project comes with an expiration date. Everything has to be done before that date. But, often people end-up underestimating or overestimating the time requirements. A good way to remedy that problem is to incorporate a project management tool into planning. You can allot an estimated time duration to each task in the project management software. The software will keep track of how time is being utilized. Slowly, you will start getting a better sense of which tasks need more time and which ones require less time than estimated. 4. Changing priorities - It’s not uncommon for priorities to keep changing from time to time in a project. But, when that happens, it’s important to communicate those changes quickly with everyone, so that the plan of action could be put into motion. Be sure nobody is left out of the loop. Management software come as handy tools in communicating those changes. Managers can use them to assign and distribute new set of tasks and initiate online discussions. 5. Inefficient risk management - Untimely things can happen when you least expect them. An important human resource could leave the company. Servers could suddenly stop working. Project could run into financial crisis. It’s important to identify all the potential risks that could occur and be prepared for them. When you fail to identify these factors; that’s when they can bring trouble. Hopefully, the points mentioned above will help you gain some practical and useful insight on how to combat the causes of project failures. What are your thoughts on this topic? Do tell us!
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AuthorSharon Thomson is a project management expert and writer. Through the years she has written about a myriad of project management topics and has successfully managed countless projects on her own. A big believer in ‘work smarter, not harder’ philosophy; Sharon keeps including her own personal lessons in her writing from time to time. |