As a project manager, you’re a problem-solver, known for getting work done no matter what roadblock is thrown your way. Consider the following list of the top project management challenges – and see if you have a solution at the ready the next time it happens to one of your projects.
Unclear goals
You can’t reach a goal if it isn’t clearly defined. Oftentimes, the problem with unclear goals comes all the way from upper management, where managers can’t agree on specific, measurable milestones. This can particularly be a problem in large projects involving several departments or divisions since each department is likely to have its own goals.
To overcome this issue, it’s best for a project manager, if possible, to have one point of contact with upper management and to ask questions to establish clear goals from the start.
Changes in scope
The scope of a project is just as important as its goals, and even small changes in the parameters of the project can have huge effects on the outcome. A common consequence of too many decision-makers, scope creep commonly happens when individual supervisors, departments, or upper managers ask for seemingly small changes to a project.
It’s important, as a project manager, to carefully consider all the effects of a change in scope. Before you accept the change in scope, see how it will affect your deadlines and budget, and communicate those potential changes to the project’s stakeholders before accepting the scope change.
Lack of accountability
Part of your job is to get team members to work together well. This can be a challenge if no one feels a sense of true accountability – if team members are simply frustrated with one another and won’t take any blame for missed deadlines or mistakes.
To avoid this problem from the beginning of your project, build in certain accountability measures that can give you and the team checkpoints along the way. By setting up meeting times throughout the project between individual team members, supervisors, and the possibly the project manager, you will be making sure any potential problems and performance issues will get addressed in a timely manner.
Shifting priorities
When upper management changes, the economy takes a drastic hit, or a board of directors decides to focus on new priorities, the effects on project management can be huge. For instance, a new director or manager can scrap one project, change deadlines, reduce a budget, or request entirely new projects. The biggest issue here is that the project manager rarely, if ever, has any control over this particular issue!
If this problem does occur, your best option is to simply roll with the punches. Instead of focusing on the negative, get your team to concentrate on being productive in whatever way is possible. Of course, if your project isn’t scrapped altogether, you may have to revise the deadline, parameters, and budget to suit the company’s new priorities.
Poorly managed project changes
Change is hard for people in general, and changes in a project can be difficult for a team. Scope creep, changing goals, a suddenly constricted budget, or a tightened deadline can all cause problems if not handled well. When changes aren’t handled well, the team can have problems meeting the budget or deadline, and may even develop poor attitudes that seriously affect the project’s outcomes.
Learning to handle change well for the whole team is an important part of project management. Although your skills in this area will continue to develop naturally over time, simply focusing on excellent communication with your stakeholders and team throughout a project will help ease any discomfort you have.
Time constraints
Completing a project on a tight timetable, especially if the deadlines change over time, is difficult. This is especially true if you’re coordinating the efforts of several different individuals or departments for a project.
Dealing with time constraints is simply a fact of life for project managers. The best option, for most projects, is to set up several milestones with separate deadlines, to ensure that the project stays on track and to catch potential issues early.
Limited budget
Finally, a huge area of project management is budget management. When you’re working with a limited budget – or a frequently changing budget – your whole project may not reach its full potential. Budgetary issues can be a particular problem when the scope of a project creeps, causing you to have more to do with the same resources.
When dealing with the budget, it’s essential to be as transparent as possible with team members and stakeholders. Carefully track the budget, and evaluate how scope changes will affect the budget before making decisions.