Balancing all the elements of a complex assignment – time, money, scope and people – is the project manager’s job. Excellent PM training is essential to successfully dealing with the unexpected challenges that come with every plan. Following is an overview of the top 10 PM challenges that PMs may encounter on the job.
Corporate Project Management Challenges
1. Undefined Goals: When goals are not clearly identified, it is impossible for the team to meet them. And, since upper management cannot agree to or support undefined goals, the plan in question has little chance of succeeding. The manager must ask the right questions to establish and communicate clear goals from the outset.
2. Scope Changes: Also known as “scope creep,” this phenomenon occurs when the plan’s scope to extend beyond its original objectives. Certainly, clients and supervisors will ask for changes to a plan – but a good PM will evaluate each request and decide how and if to implement it, while communicating the effects on budget and deadlines to all stakeholders.
Working With a Team: Challenges
1.Inadequate Skills: A plan sometimes requires skills that the plan’s contributors don’t possess. Training can help a leader determine the needed competencies, assess the available workers and recommend training, outsourcing or hiring additional staff.
2. Lack of Accountability: A PM’s leadership qualities really shine when each member of the team takes responsibility for his or her role in achieving success. Conversely, a lack of accountability can bring an activity to a complete halt. Finger-pointing and avoiding blame are unproductive – but all-too-common – features of flawed management. Learning to direct teams toward a common goal is an important aspect of training.
Another Challenge: Dealing With Risk
1. Improper Risk Management: Learning to deal with and plan for risk is an essential piece of PM training. And risk tolerance is a desirable project manager trait – because plans rarely go exactly according to plan. Gathering input, developing trust and knowing which parts are most likely to veer off course are all aspects of the PM’s job.
2. Ambiguous Contingency Plans: It’s important for managers to know exactly what direction to take in pre-defined “what-if” scenarios. But if those contingencies are not identified, the entire project can become mired in an unexpected set of problems. Asking others to identify potential problem areas can lead to a much smoother and more successful project.
Project Management and Communication Challenges
1. Poor Communication: Managers provide direction at every step, so each team leader knows what’s expected. Effective communication to everyone involved is crucial to its successful completion.
a) Project management training includes an emphasis on written and oral communication skills
b) Proper communication increases team members’ morale by establishing clear expectations
c) Good PMs keep communication and feedback flowing between upper management and team leaders
Managing Expectations
1. Impossible Deadlines: A strong leader – and successful project manager – knows that repeatedly asking a team for the impossible will result in declining morale and productivity. The odds of successfully completing a project under unreasonable deadlines are not very good.
2. Resource Deprivation: To be run efficiently and effectively, management must provide sufficient resources – human, time and money. Training shows how to define needs and obtain approval up front, and helps project managers assign and prioritize resources throughout the duration.
3. Lack of Stakeholder Engagement: A disinterested team member, client, CEO or vendor can destroy a project quickly. It’s like having a distracted paddler in a two-person canoe – you might get to the finish line, but not efficiently or on time. And you’ll waste a lot of energy in the process! A skilled PM communicates openly and encourages feedback at every step to create greater engagement among participants.
