by: Ryan Leibowitz

Here are 5 common reasons why your projects are going over schedule,
over budget, and generally under expectations of quality.

1. Overextending on your resources: Or simply doing more than what
your resources whether it be in finances, human capital, strategic
partnerships, time, etc.
2. Micromanaging: Instead of looking over the shoulders of your team
mates, focus more on the overall strategy alignment and faciliate
intra/extra departmental communications.
3. lack of strategic vision, feature-creep, too tactical (putting
out fires, playing catch-up vs how to sustain long term competitive
advantage)
4. Eating an elephant whole: no matter how well thought out the
project is, the individual pieces may be perfectly executed on time
and on budget but then it's impossible or extremely difficult to
integrate the pieces. Instead it is probably a better idea to chunk
out the projecs to produce measurable results such as described in
the "rapid results initiative" where specific quantifiable
milestones are set, and once reached can be either built upon or
scrapped depending the the goal discovery process.
5. Poor communication between cross-functions: Bureaucracy is part
of the game, get used to it, or better yet, learn to be a better
communicator and have not just let the marketing or engineering head
decide on the project requirements but set aside time to get insight
from all constituents and stakeholders.

The untold story, beyond financial losses

Not only do failed projects cost time and money, sometimes amounting
to several years, and millions of dollars. But it demoralizes all
the stakeholders to the project, especially the frontline employees
and managers that had direct reign and input into the project.

As has been quoted in the media and surveys, the majority of
projects fail to meet expectations or even sustainable results.
Therefore an improvement in the knowledge of the field of project
management is perhaps the bare minimum in advancing one's career, or
business success in this high paced environment.

About the author:
For more career propelling project management consulting tips and an
up to date blog, please visit http://www.managethat.com/and
http://www.managethat.com/blogrespectively.