5 Project Problems You Might Need to Solve
The life of a project manager tends to involve a lot of different situations and will require you to use a variety of skills to solve the problems you will come across. There is no way of accurately listing all of the issues you could need to solve during your career but as a sample we could look at 5 which you might need to deal with at some point.
The Wrong Team
The project team is going to be very important to you. In fact, if you are presented with a team which has been recruited or allocated by someone else then one of your first steps should be to assess their suitability for the task at hand. Even if they are all experienced and capable workers you will need to think about whether or not they will combine well and provide the mixture of skills which you are going to need. If the makeup of the team is wrong then your first step is probably going to be that of pointing this out to the stakeholders and asking for more appropriate resources. If they can’t help you out then perhaps you will be able to train them in the subjects which aren’t very well covered.
A Lack of Clarity
A common problem with projects is that of a lack of clarity over the objectives or over how they are going to be achieved. This isn’t usually such a big problem when the project is just starting out and you are going to be involved in it right from the beginning. However, what happens when you are thrown into a project halfway through and realize that not everything is as clear as it should be? Even worse would be the situation if you have been working on it since the start but have just realized that you don’t have the level of clarity which you need. Going back to the basics and fully assessing the end users’ requirements is the only sure way of getting everything exactly right rather than just papering over the cracks. It may not be pleasant but it will clear everything up once and for all.
Not Enough Skills
Have you discovered that a lack of skills is holding you back? This isn’t really a problem if you know what to do about it. We all come across situations in which our limits are tested and this is something you should avoid shying away from. The project manager job is such a complicated one that you are sure to come across areas which you aren’t comfortable with from time to time. The way to deal with this is to get the training, advice or help you need as soon as possible, rather than letting the issue linger on.
Not Enough Time in the Day
Is the project too big for you to cope with? This is another common problem and one which has various possible solutions. First of all, you should consider whether you can delegate some of the tasks to members of your team to take some off the weight off your shoulders. Another approach you could take is that of organizing your day better. By using templates for the most common tasks and doing the toughest tasks when you feel most energy you should be able to make the most of your time and get more done each day.
Distant Stakeholders
New project managers who are used to working on their own could find it difficult to deal with stakeholders in their new role. There is no doubt that it can be tricky to work with these people but it is an essential part of the job. If you see that they aren’t as close to the project as they should be then you will need to do something about this. If the project hasn’t gone on very far then you could see whether inviting them to more of your meetings could be the change you need to make. If the situation is more serious then you might need to get some one on one talks arranged to let them feel as though they are part of the work. When stakeholders feel that they are being left out of the project then they will tend to become more distant and won’t be there when you need them. You might need your stakeholders to agree to changes or to sign off completed tasks so you shouldn’t let them get too distant.
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