5 Project Management Myths and Free Templates

We all know that project management is one of the most important aspects of any business because it ensures that projects are completed on time and within budget. But did you know that there are project management myths floating around out there that could be eating into your operational efficiency (and your profits) if you believe them?

Let’s take a look at just five of these myths…

?Prioritize speed over quality

When it comes to projects, the debate continues on which should be your top priority: deadlines or quality?

There's no clear answer:?it depends.

In projects where speed to market is the overriding motivation, the trick is to set and stick to minimum acceptable quality standards.

Do not compromise on this. Poor products lead to poor user experiences and will affect the reputation of your company.

Other than that, err on the side of quality. Don't sacrifice quality just to make a deadline. It's better to deal with stakeholder frustration during the project development stage than to lose customers because of bad user experience.

?Follow the plan no matter what

Though we may think we have the perfect project plan, unexpected things will happen. That's why we have?change management , after all. There is no way to predict everything that will come up as a project moves from one milestone to another.

There may be new stakeholders joining the project who have better ideas, or new technologies may make some project features obsolete, or changing market conditions may require modification or addition of services… The list can go on and on. It's obvious, then, that sticking to an inflexible plan borders on stupidity.

That's why I always tell our clients to stick to the plan...?but be flexible!

?The customer is always right

If user experience is your most important metric, you may think that this old adage is true. But in project management, clients don't always know what they need.

Despite strong preferences, not all features they want deliver real business value.

Even worse, customers may overlook or miss features that actually work!

Customers should always be listened to, of course, but their words shouldn't be treated as immovable doctrine. The assumptions customers make about products, processes, and markets can be wrong.

The trick is to be proactive in dealing with customers by managing their expectations, doing relevant research, and consistently providing useful (including contrarian but constructive) insight throughout the project life cycle.

?Pretty much anyone can successfully manage any project

Considering how resourceful humans are, this is a reasonable statement, but for this to be true in the real world, some major qualifications are necessary.

At the very least, a person hoping to succeed as a project manager should have the right mix of emotional intelligence, technical knowledge, business acumen, discipline, and people skills to do the job right.

When a person seriously lacks any of these basic requirements, then an immediate foray into project management will just likely lead to mediocre or even disastrous outcomes.

?Technology will solve all our problems

Artificial Intelligence is all the rage these days, so it may be tempting to think that all we have to do is rely on technology. But project management software such as Microsoft Project, Slack, and Asana still require human oversight and input. The final outcome depends on the hand behind every tool at play.

On the one hand, top talent can deliver excellent output using the most basic software.

On the other hand, incompetent users can make even the best tools seem inadequate. Technology is crucial, but its potential depends on team training, adoption, and integration.

In Conclusion

It’s easy to believe in old adages or fall for smart-sounding advice, but the truth is that project management exists in a fluid environment that varies from industry to industry, company to company, and even from department to department. That’s why we offer?free resources ?on our website and even a?complimentary operational assessment ?so you can benefit from the experience of our experts and make sure you’re getting the most out of your projects.

?Want to leverage the power of proper project management? Don't wait and reach out!?