Five Challenges faced by Project Managers

The main work of a project manager is to ensure that difficult projects are handled and positive results are obtained. However, there are some things that can affect the work of a project manager, both internal and external factors. Let us look at the top 5 challenges that project managers face every day.

The top 5 challenges for Project Managers

1. Corporate problems.
The first problem that a project manager will likely face is internal. A company or firm will sometimes not properly define the goals or objectives of a business before going into it. This will present a big problem to the project manager in the long run. A poorly planned project will definitely fail at the end. It is very important that goals, budget, and timeframe are discussed before the project even commences. It is also good to have other options in case the first idea doesn’t work out.

2. Problems with your team members.
Let’s face it, a project’s success is dependent on the people that execute it. As a project manager, the second problem you will likely face is working with either inexperienced team members or team members who lack the skill to handle the tasks at hand. This challenge will slow down the progress of your work and in some cases will lead to the termination of the project, unsuccessfully. It is very important that you are provided with team members that are tailored to the job or proper training is provided to ensure that they are ready for the task ahead,

3. Ensuring that the risks are low.
As a project manager, it is expected that the risks in the project are low. This is a very hard task especially if there are internal factors that are affecting your work. You can reduce the risks level in your team by gathering enough information on the project, building a circle of trust amongst the team members and knowing which part of the project isn’t feasible and changing it before it is too late.

4. Communication issues.
You will likely face communication issues between you and your team and between team members themselves. As a project manager, you will have to be open to everybody so that your team members can come to you with their problems. You should also let them know that everybody is essential to the success of the project, hence the need to communicate more openly with each other. Take note that lack of communication or miscommunication poses a huge risk to your entire project.

5. Managing expectations.
It is expected that you know what your team members expect of you as their manager and at the same time, your team members should know what you expect of them. Once you know each other’s expectations, then it will be easier to reach the desired goals. Availability of resources, deadlines, training and payments are some of the critical issues that should be discussed on regular basis between the management and the workers so that the project will end up successful.

Once you have tackled the five problems explained above, then you will have little to no problem successfully handling a project.
To master projects even better, you should enroll in the Certified Lean Project Manager®