Why Projects Fail [5 PROJECT FAILURE CAUSES]

Summary

In this video, Adriana Gerdler, a business productivity specialist, identifies five common reasons for project failure and offers strategies to avoid them. She emphasizes the importance of addressing conflict promptly, setting clear and realistic team expectations, maintaining open communication, ensuring project managers have the necessary skills, and managing risks effectively. Gerdler also provides additional resources for non-project managers and encourages viewers to subscribe for more tips on project management success.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Dodging conflict is a major reason projects fail; addressing issues promptly is crucial for project success.
• 📋 Clear and realistic team expectations from the outset are vital for effective project management.
• 🗣️ Over-communicating is key to ensuring all team members are aligned and informed about project goals and timelines.
• 👩‍💼 The lack of project management skills in non-project managers can lead to project failure; upskilling is essential.
• ⚠️ Poor or non-existent risk management can significantly impact a project's timeline and success.
• 👥 Team members being pulled into different tasks can pose a risk to project timelines; proactive mitigation strategies are necessary.
• 📈 Project managers must continuously reinforce messages and check in with the team to validate understanding and progress.
• 📝 Documenting and planning are essential skills for project managers to provide the necessary structure for a project.
• 🏆 Success in project management often requires additional training and resources, especially for those new to the role.
• 🔗 The speaker offers a download with more information and a course for non-project managers to enhance their project management skills.

Q & A

What are the five main reasons projects fail according to Adriana Gerdler?

Adriana Gerdler identifies five main reasons for project failure: dodging conflict, having vague or unrealistic team expectations, poor communication, non-project managers being in charge of projects, and poor or no risk management.

Why is addressing conflict important in project management?

Addressing conflict is crucial because unmanaged conflict can spiral out of control, impacting the project timeline, scope, and budget. It's the project manager's job to ensure that conflicts are addressed promptly to maintain productivity.

How can setting clear expectations for the team prevent project failure?

Setting clear expectations from the outset ensures that team members understand their roles and responsibilities. This clarity helps in executing tasks efficiently and meeting agreed-upon deadlines, which is vital for project success.

What is the significance of over-communicating in project management?

Over-communicating is significant because it helps to reinforce messages, reduce misunderstandings, and ensures that all team members are on the same page. It also allows for regular check-ins to validate understanding and progress.

Why might non-project managers struggle when leading a project?

Non-project managers might struggle because they lack the specific skillset required for project management. This can lead to difficulties in areas such as communication, conflict resolution, and planning, which are critical for a project's success.

How can poor risk management lead to project failure?

Poor risk management can lead to project failure because it overlooks potential issues that could impact the project. Without proper identification, mitigation, and contingency planning, these risks can escalate and negatively affect the project's timeline, budget, and overall success.

What advice does Adriana Gerdler give to non-project managers who are leading a project?

Adriana Gerdler suggests that non-project managers should equip themselves with the basics of project management. She also offers a course for non-project managers to help them succeed in leading projects.

What is the role of leadership in setting up non-project managers for success?

Leadership should recognize that project management requires a specific skillset and provide the necessary training or support to non-project managers who are leading projects. This helps to ensure that they have the tools to manage projects effectively.

Why is it important to involve sponsors and senior executives in risk management?

Involving sponsors and senior executives in risk management is important because it ensures that risks are identified and owned at a higher level within the organization. This involvement can lead to better support and resources for mitigating and managing those risks.

What additional resources does Adriana Gerdler offer to help project managers succeed?

Adriana Gerdler offers additional resources such as a downloadable guide with the top five reasons for project failure, as well as a course for non-project managers. She also encourages subscribing to her channel for more tips and insights on project management.

How can project managers ensure that their team members are not pulled into different tasks, affecting the project?

Project managers can ensure team focus by clearly communicating project priorities, setting realistic expectations, and working with team members and other stakeholders to manage workload and commitments effectively.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Introduction to Project Failures and Solutions

Adriana Gerdler, a business productivity specialist and project management professional, introduces the topic of project failures. She outlines five common reasons why projects fail and offers advice on how to avoid these pitfalls. Adriana emphasizes the importance of addressing conflict, setting clear and realistic team expectations, maintaining effective communication, and recognizing the challenges faced by non-project managers. She also highlights the significance of proper risk management. The video is aimed at helping viewers excel in their careers and offers additional resources for further learning.

05:04

🔍 Deep Dive into Project Failures and Risk Management

In this segment, Adriana delves deeper into the reasons behind project failures, focusing on poor risk management as a critical issue. She stresses the importance of identifying potential risks early in the project lifecycle and developing mitigation and contingency plans to address them. Adriana discusses the common risk of team members being pulled into other projects, which can jeopardize the project's timeline. She encourages viewers to involve sponsors and senior executives in risk management, making it a collaborative effort. The video concludes with an offer for additional resources to help new project managers succeed and a call to action for viewers to engage with the content by subscribing, liking, and sharing the video.

Keywords

💡Project Management

Project management is the process of planning, executing, and closing projects. It involves the use of various skills to oversee the project from start to finish, ensuring it meets the required scope, time, and cost constraints. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of project management skills in avoiding project failures, as it encompasses communication, conflict resolution, and risk management.

💡Project Failure

Project failure refers to the inability of a project to meet its objectives, often due to various internal or external factors. The video discusses five common reasons for project failure, such as dodging conflict, vague team expectations, poor communication, non-project managers leading projects, and poor risk management. Understanding these reasons is crucial for project managers to prevent such failures.

💡Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the process of managing and resolving disagreements within a team to maintain harmony and productivity. The video stresses that avoiding conflict can lead to project failure, as it can spiral out of control and impact the project timeline, scope, and budget. Addressing conflicts promptly is a key responsibility of a project manager.

💡Team Expectations

Team expectations refer to the clear understanding and agreement among team members about their roles, responsibilities, and deliverables within a project. The video highlights that vague or unrealistic expectations can lead to project failure, as team members may not be aligned with the project goals. Clear communication of expectations from the outset is essential for success.

💡Communication

Communication in project management involves the exchange of information between team members, stakeholders, and other parties involved in the project. The video identifies poor communication as a leading cause of project failure, suggesting that project managers should over-communicate to ensure that all team members are informed and aligned with the project objectives.

💡Non-Project Manager

A non-project manager is an individual who is not trained or experienced in project management but is tasked with leading a project. The video discusses how this can lead to project failure if the person lacks the necessary skills. It suggests that even non-project managers can succeed by understanding the basics of project management and seeking support.

💡Risk Management

Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks to a project and then developing strategies to mitigate or avoid them. The video points out that poor or non-existent risk management can lead to project failure, as unforeseen risks can derail the project timeline and budget. It encourages proactive risk identification and mitigation planning.

💡Project Timeline

A project timeline is a schedule that outlines the sequence and duration of project tasks and milestones. The video mentions that conflicts and poor communication can impact the project timeline, leading to delays and potential failure. Managing the timeline effectively is a critical aspect of project management.

💡Scope Creep

Scope creep refers to the gradual and continuous expansion of a project's scope, often due to poor project management or changing requirements. While not explicitly mentioned in the video, it is implied as a potential consequence of poor project management practices, such as failing to manage team expectations and conflicts effectively.

💡Project Budget

The project budget is the financial plan for a project, including all expected costs and resources. The video discusses how unresolved conflicts and poor communication can impact the project budget, as they may lead to delays and additional costs. Managing the budget effectively is a key responsibility of a project manager.

💡Project Ninja

A 'Project Ninja' is a term used by the speaker to describe an individual who excels in project management, particularly in avoiding common pitfalls and ensuring project success. The video aims to help viewers become 'Project Ninjas' by understanding and avoiding the top five reasons for project failure.

Highlights

Five reasons why projects fail and how to avoid them

Introduction to Adriana Gerdler, a business productivity specialist and project management professional

Importance of subscribing to the channel for career advancement and project management tips

Over 20 years of project management experience validates the reasons for project failures

Project failure number one: Dodging conflict

Addressing conflict is crucial for project success

Project failure number two: Vague or unrealistic team expectations

Clear communication of expectations from the start is essential

Project failure number three: Poor communication

Over-communicate to ensure messages are received and understood

Project failure number four: Non-project managers leading projects

Leadership should recognize project management as a distinct skillset

Project failure number five: Poor or no risk management

Risk is an inherent part of projects and needs to be managed proactively

Risk of team members being pulled onto different projects can impact timeline

Mitigation and contingency plans are necessary for identified risks

Additional resources available for download to learn more about project failures

Encouragement for new project managers to subscribe and engage with the channel

Invitation for viewers to share their experiences with project failures in the comments

Transcripts

Have you ever wondered why projects fail and how you can avoid this?

We'll watch this video because I'm going to share with you five reasons why projects fail and what you can do about it.

Stay tuned to the end of this video too, because if you want to be a project Ninja,

I have some cool things to share with you that are going to help you succeed.

Hi, if you're new here, welcome. My name is Adriana Gerdler.

I'm a business productivity specialist and a project management professional, AKA project

Ninja, and I am excited to have you here, if you could subscribe to my channel so that

you can Excel in your career as well as get some really great additional tips and project management.

Please do so. Hit that subscribe bell button bell.

I have been a project manager for over 20 plus years and I can attest to these project failures.

It's the same thing that I see over and over again. in every type of

industry, so don't fall into these same traps, so let's get to it and go through these project failures.

Project failure, number one, dodging conflict.

All right.

I know sometimes it can be really difficult to address conflict, but when you're a project

manager and you're running a project and a bunch of people are in it on your team, you have

to, you have to, address that elephant in the room immediately.

If not, it spirals out of control, which then spirals to impacting your project timeline,

scopes, budget, etc. So you really need to address things.

There are some really cool videos that I have on communication and team building that you

can check out, but it is important that you do not avoid conflict.

You're the manager, the project manager.

That is your job knowing to ensure that things get done, but that people are doing it in a way that is productive.

Project failure Number two, team expectations are vague or unrealistic, so it is critical.

Your success as a project manager is dependentupon the team executing their task, so it

is important that you are so clear and expectations are really set out from day one with your team.

Here's the other caveat too.

They don't report into you.

So you got to motivate them in order to get the work done by the due dates that you all agreed to.

So it is really important and your job to be checking in with them, remove the roadblocks,

make sure that everybody is on the same page and that is going to help out tremendously.

And if you can do that, that's a big part of why projects fail because people are not clear.

Project failure number three, Poor Communication.

So as a project manager, it's your job to present all the communication for the team.

Now one of the problems I see all the time is that it's only said once.

So this poor communication, the answer is over communicate.

People get distracted.

You can be in a meeting and all of a sudden their phone is vibrating and they'd not hearing

anything you said or you've been given information, but they could be checking email.

Who the heck knows it happens?

Even if you have rule of saying, please don't do that.

So it's really important to over communicate, ensure that you're constantly reinforcing

your messages and repeat, check in with your team as well.

Can you please let me know, did you understand what I was asking?

Are you good with that date?

Get them to reply back to you.

That's just going to validate what you're looking to have done and all part of communication.

project failure number four, the non project manager.

So I'm going to put a little disclaimer in here or preface to say, this

is not the fault of the non project manager.

What happens is, people are really successful at what they do.

So all of a sudden they get promoted or they're asked to run this really large project, but

they may be an accountant, but yet they're being asked to run a project and it really

is at the fault of the leadership because they don't understand that project management

actually is a skillset and it's those skills that you need in order to really run successful projects.

So what happens for non project manager is that they don't have the skills, they're trying

to scramble, and they always feel like they're behind the eight ball and as a result not

giving the team what they need, whatever that may be, communication, conflict resolution,

documents, plans, whatever, etc.

But if you can understand that, if you get thrown in that position and

let me know in the comments below, if you ever have been thrown in that position, there

are things that you can do, you can understand the basics of project management, not only

that and want you to check out a link cause I have a real cool course for you just for

those non project managers to help you be successful with projects.

Because I promise you, projects are strategic initiatives within an organization.

They're usually high profile.

You really want to do a good job on them and that's why non-project managers have been put into that role.

Then guess what?

If your leadership team is not going to set you up for success, then you need to set yourself up for success.

Critical project failure number five, poor risk management or new risk management.

Okay. A lot of times organizations and individualsdon't really think of risk because they usually

get a project and they're just moving forward,but I promise you, risk is part of a project.

They do happen and you really need to be managing these.

Even if you just do a simple kind of analysis like what would be some risks that are going

to happen to this particular project, you'll be surprised.

One of the biggest risks I see over and over again is, my team members are being pulled

onto different things and so I'm not going to have the committed time that I'm supposed to get from them.

That creates a big risk to the project success, particularly the timeline, right?

Happens all the time.

If it did for you, let me know in the comment below.

So this becomes important because if you know this to be true, then you need to put some

sort of mitigation and contingency plan in place and you want to do this at the beginning

of the project with your sponsors and senior executives.

Have them own this.

This is a risk that you're identifying, that's your job, but you need to get help in regards to resolving it.

So it's a team activity.

Look at those risks.

Don't ignore it.

It will bite you in the arse.

Now that you know the top five reasons why project fails, guess what?

There's more.

Get the other five in this download from below and I'm going to give you all of them in this download.

Fantastic, useful piece of information as well.

If you're a new project manager, a must please subscribe to my channel and if you

could like this video and share it with all the professionals and friends that you know,

that would be so appreciative.

Let me know if you've experienced any of these failures or if you're doing them.

I would love to hear from you.

I read the comments and definitely reply to you if you have any questions about failures

that you're experiencing on that note, until the next video, see you later.