Common Mistakes to Avoid as a Project Manager

As a Projectmanager you have to learn not to focus on the task itself but on the long-term goals and the satisfaction experienced once the project is finished on time. By focusing more on the results, you will certainly have more heart at work.

Who is a project manager?

The project manager is an individual who leads the team, organizes the work, and directs each phase of the project. He/she is responsible for convincing the stakeholders, defining the scope of the project and finally planning the execution of the project.

A project manager determines the tasks to be carried out to achieve the project objectives. This person forms a team, equips himself with the necessary tools and defines the sequence of tasks according to a precise schedule.

He is also in charge of creating the project budget, risk management and monitoring the progress of the project. He must ensure that people work without hindrance and respect deadlines.

In general, project managers are very organized, result-oriented and passionate people. They can work well under pressure, demonstrate leadership and can motivate others. Beyond the relational qualities, communication is another essential prerequisite.

Mistakes to Avoid as a project manager

1. Poor planning (is planning for failure)
Some project manager sees sometimes planning as a secondary activity of which it is a primary activity. They feel it is something that needs to be done but has no added value. Proper planning needs to be done for current and upcoming projects.

But if a project manager cannot define precisely the scope, the responsibilities and the timetable of the project, then there will be serious problems afterwards. Without a good action plan, a project manager risk:
• Lack of support from the company
• Lack of resources and time
• Failure to meet deadlines
• Unhappy team members or customers
You should always have a precise list of tasks to perform when you manage a project, whether for yourself or for your team members.

Knowing exactly how the work is progressing will help you estimate the time required for each task. With this information, you anticipate future delays and save precious time on future projects.

2. Bad communication
Poor communication with a team member is really going to be a mistake because as a leader of the team, he should always check on his team member constantly and motivate them about the importance of staying safe and survival for upcoming projects.

3. Miss some information
The project manager needs to update his team with every information on previous and current projects and also the planned ones for the future after the spread of the virus.

4. Lack of monitoring and control
In order for everything to go as planned, you must carry out regular checks and make the necessary changes. So you should also make regular points with your team to see how you can keep the project from falling behind.

5. Lack of risk management
As each project is unique, unpredictability should always be considered an inherent factor. The qualification and quantification of this factor, proactive anticipation of what could go wrong and you react if this happened is called "risk management".

6. Do not delegate
Refusing to delegate is one of the biggest management mistakes. This poses a risk of error since your time is not extendable.
Know how to delegate, trust and listen to suggestions. Team members can bring, share their experience and ideas to develop ambitious projects.

7. Do not differentiate the urgent from the important
As a good manager or project manager, make sure that all-important tasks are given priority, even if they take less time than "ancillary" tasks.

8. Excessive procrastination
Procrastination involves shifting activities to the next day; this occurs because we often tend to see a task as something negative and interminable.

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