MAJOR Scope Statement Mistakes to Avoid as a Project Manager
Adriana Girdler, CET, PMP
Helping project managers and accidental PMs successfully achieve project goals with an efficient, practical, non-chaotic system | Award-winning Project Manager | Workout & Guitar Enthusiast
Creating your project scope statement? Don’t make these common mistakes!
Your scope statement is one of the most important aspects of your project – especially in the beginning.
There are some common scope statement mistakes project managers make, and I want to make sure YOU avoid those mistakes so you can create a scope statement that starts your project on the right foot.
Mistake #1: Not involving the right stakeholders
You can draft your project scope, but you should never finalize it on your own.
Your stakeholders should be involved because they have requirements, needs, and specific expectations that you just might not be aware of.
If you don’t involve your stakeholders in your scope statement creation and finalization, you’re bound to have problems on your project.
Mistake #2: Ignoring assumptions
Sometimes in the beginning of a project, it’s difficult to outline assumptions for a project you haven’t started.
But it’s so important to understand and highlight assumptions. Ask yourself questions like:
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-??????? Are people expecting you to do everything?
-??????? Is there enough resourcing for this project or are assumptions being made about how much resourcing is needed?
-??????? Do you have assumptions about who is going to be on your team?
Ignoring assumptions has a detrimental impact on your project. So, your scope statement is the place where you want to highlight the key assumptions. That way, everyone can review those assumptions together and correct what needs to be corrected.
More scope statement mistakes to avoid
I have a whole list of common scope statement mistakes to avoid PLUS examples to help you understand how to apply these tips to your projects. Head over to YouTube with me and we’ll keep chatting there.
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Adriana Girdler, PMP | Creator of SLAY Project Management?
Advancing Livelihoods & Market Systems Dev. | Humanitarian & Development Professional | Ag-Food System Dev. | Private Sector Engagement | Value Chain & Supply Chain | Project Design & Oversight | Ag. Waste Management
1 年Thanks for sharing this helpful information, Adriana Girdler, CET, PMP, I have seen many projects manager did such a mistake, and they struggle with their role as the PM in the middle of the project life cycle.
Senior Program Manager at NTT DATA || IIM Indore Alumni || MBA(Gold Medallist) || M.Tech || PMP? || ITIL? 4 || SAFe? 6 Agilist || SAFe? 6 Scrum Master || CSM? || CSPO? || PSM-I || ICP-ACC || LSSBB
1 年Thanks for sharing Very useful
General Manager - Operations & Strategy | Certified PMP | Project Leadership & Business Transformation | Communication Strategist | Change Advocate | Co-Founder & Lead Educator at Vythi Learners Hub
1 年Hi Adriana, This is an excellent piece! The pitfalls you've highlighted in creating a project scope statement are indeed common and can derail a project if not addressed. Involving the right stakeholders and not overlooking assumptions are crucial aspects that every project manager should consider. I appreciate the practical tips and the invitation to explore more on YouTube. Your new project management group coaching program sounds like a fantastic opportunity for professionals in the field. Keep up the good work!