There is no one-way route in project management. The ideas and strategies you hold dear to your heart, might not mean a dime to someone else who is managing a project. This means that you should find a balance between what works and what the so-called experts had advised ‘us’ to follow.
Truly, it’s not an easy task to serve in multiple roles. When managing a project that requires extra thinking-through, you have to ditch myths and embrace practicable ideals. So without further ado, here are the 3 project management myths that keep people stuck and unproductive at the end of the day:
Failure means poor planning
“People don’t fail, but events do.” You have to avoid walking with this myth. Because it can drown your efforts and give you a nauseous feeling that you’re not qualified to manage another project. Failure doesn’t mean poor planning, at least not in every case. In fact, failure can be used as a yardstick for measuring the effectiveness of any project.
One of the reasons why a project failed could be the result of not seeing the whole picture before embarking on it. If you’re not passionate or trained to manage a given project, save your precious time and say “NO.” Saying no can utterly reduce the failure rate when managing projects. Rather than whining over a failed project, get up strong and move on.
The project manager is in charge
Yes, I get it. Every project needs a manager to supervise, delegate and anchor the day-to-day activities. But guess what? A project manager doesn’t know it all. According to Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Groups, “being inquisitive is the secret of successful start-ups.”In other words, when you’re inquisitive about what your team has to say or do in a particular project, significant things would happen.
I believe that the role of the project manager is to “improve on something.” You should always improve an idea, a suggestion, or a tip given by someone else. If you want to successfully manage a project and come out satisfied, you have to eliminate ego, sentiments and embrace teamwork. Everyone’s idea counts.
Project management certification: a must
According to Richard Branson, “Perfection is unattainable.” Even if you become a certified project manager today, you’ll still need a helping hand or a team to work with you. I see a lot of companies falling into this trap. Of course, it’s a great decision when the staff or aspiring project managers steps out to be certified. But that doesn’t mean they’ll seamlessly manage every project and bring it to success.
One of the key functions of certification programs is to equip you with the required confidence, agility, and wit to work with a team. But a project management certification will not do the job. I have seen a lot of projects that were managed by ordinary people/staff who are in sales and human resource departments.
That’s why you have to encourage participation – because an idea from a colleague can change your perception about a given project. And the moment the scale covering your eye has been removed, everything becomes possible. Way more!
Conclusion
There you have it. The 3 project management myths you should ignore if you want to master the terrain and successfully manage a project. It’s important to note that only 54% of organizations fully understand the value.” Projects can be small or large. But what matters is your perception, knowledge, and how you interact with your team. Because managing a project is usually easier when people of like-minds come together, pulling their ideas together to achieve a feat.
What other project management myth would you like to ignore?
About the author
Michael Chibuzor is a small business writer. He founded http://queryletters.com to help you do BIG things in your business.
