Project management: Myth versus fact

While the Internet is home to an abundance of useful information, it also is where you will find plenty of rumors and misguided text. As a project management apprentice or student, it can be difficult to distinguish the truth from the lies. That’s not good as believing a myth could start your career off on the wrong foot. Read on to discover some of the most common project management myths.

Risk management guarantees that risks will be addressed

Managing the risks is, of course, a key part of effective project management. This includes determining what the risks of the project are, assessing the chance of them happening and their impact if they were to occur, and deciding if/how to address the said risk.

It is advisable to perform this risk identification process at the start of the project, enabling you to support the mitigation and management of risks throughout the entire project. However, this does not mean that all risks are addressed.

It is more than likely that risks will crop up throughout the project life cycle that wasn’t initially addressed. So, continual management is critical.

Capability equates to performance

This one is another falsehood. The choice of project team members emphasizes knowledge, experience, and ability. These can make a huge difference when setting the project’s direction, pace, and tone.

However, it does not always equate to project performance. There are many other factors to consider, such as commitment and availability. You can always progress your efforts with the likes of an executive MBA to keep moving forward.

‘One size fits all’ is a project management myth

Any project manager apprentice looking to make their way in the industry should know that there is no such thing as one size fits all with regards to software and various solutions. While this does not mean that you need to build everything from scratch, you do need to pick something that can be tailored to the needs of your team.

If you merely select a solution based on price alone, it will only put barriers in the way. So, choose wisely!

Conflict is unhealthy

Of course, you don’t want a team that is going to be at loggerheads each and every day. This is not to say that conflict is unhealthy, though.

The more complex a project is the increased likelihood of conflict. If everything goes swimmingly and no one disagrees with one other, you have to ask whether those on the team really care about the project and the outcome?

Project management myth: When there is a will, there is a way

This saying is one you have probably heard several times. While it is inspiring, it is not necessarily true in project management, which makes it misleading.

Most people have experienced working in a project or business environment that is impossible to complete within the set schedule, budget, or requirements. Just because you want something complete by a certain time, does not mean that it is feasible.

If you set unrealistic project deadlines, you are only setting up your team for failure. If you’re unsure what timelines and objectives to set, get input from others and consider what has delayed team projects in the past.