Why are timelines missed? Part 1 – Project Initiation and Planning
We all have been on a project where timelines are missed. It is unfortunate, but it happens. We spend all our time scrambling to recover from missed timelines, but we rarely spend enough time looking at the root causes of the miscues. Missing timelines is detrimental to our projects and to our careers.
Below are some of the most common causes for missed timelines during the initiation and planning phases of the project.
Going into battle with the wrong army – we all know the difference a great team can make on your project. Having people you can trust to accomplish their tasks can make a tremendous difference. Spend time in the beginning of the project securing the resources that you need to execute your project. Any effort you spend fighting for resources will be more than offset by the effort you don’t have to spend compensating for poor performers on your team.
Misunderstanding your orders – not knowing what your team needs to accomplish is certain to lead to missed timelines. It may sound obvious, but incomplete or incorrect requirements are too often the culprit for missed timelines. Make sure that you work with your clients to clearly define what is expected of you and your team. This will instill confidence in your clients and will ensure that you lead your team to success.
Underestimating your foe – too many teams fail because they fail to accurately estimate how long their tasks will take to accomplish. Some of this is overconfidence in their abilities, while some of it is due to uncertainty surrounding the tasks or the project. Make sure you work with your team to accurately estimate task durations. Use historical data as an input into your estimates when possible. Instill in your team that the estimates they come up with are what they are committing to. This will force them to closely examine their estimates.
In part 2 of this series I will look at the most common causes of missed timelines during the execution phase of a project.
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