Common Project Management Errors and Pitfalls

Common Project Management Errors and Pitfalls.doc 1/2 Common Project Management Errors and Pitfalls You should understand that most real life common errors in project management are often listed as choices in the examination. Here is a summary of some of the major errors even experienced and skilled project managers make, be very sure you will make the same mistakes. Some of the common errors are: 1. Focus on asking for percentage complete 2. Holding “go around the room” type status meetings 3. Spending most of you time babysitting team members by constantly checking on them 4. Asking to cut 10% off the estimate 5. Thinking a bar (also call GNATT) chart is a Project Management Plan 6. Not try her best to obtain finalized requirements 7. Not getting real resource commitments 8. Not having a reward system 9. Not focusing on quality 10. Not having a control system 11. Not having management plans for all Knowledge Areas. 12. Not measuring against the Project Management Plan, baselines or even creating metrics 13. Not spending time finding and eliminating root causes of problems or deviations 14. Not implementing corrective action to keep the project in line with the Project Management Plan and all baselines. Common Project Management Errors and Pitfalls.doc 2/2 15. Not reevaluating the effectiveness of the Project Management Plan 16. Not reevaluating the accuracy or completeness of Schedule, Cost, Scope 17. Ignoring resource managers’ need to have their people do their own departments’ work 18. Not realizing the project can affect the reputation of team members 19. Not realizing the project manager has some human resource responsibilities to the project team, such as project job descriptions and adding letters of recommendation to team members’ human resource files 20. Blaming unrealistic schedules on management instead of realizing they are the project manager’s responsibility