PMO Focus | Common Challenges of Project Managers by Anne Lewson

I recently discovered that common challenges as a project manager are not just mine during one of my PMI chapter meetings, it was obvious that other project managers struggle in the same way.

Let’s learn from our challenges together!

1. Being too-nice syndrome

We all want to be a hero and be loved. We’ve all been there: we want to please everyone, and we have been known to over promise.

But now and again, we need to simply be controversial as we need to show tough love to our teams or be the bearer of bad news to our management. 

Not a pleasant situation indeed, but often necessary.

So keep your chin up, get your facts ready, and go for it! 

2. Having too much hope

As we all heard before, “Hope is not a strategy.”  And yes, it is true. 

But we are eternally optimistic humans, and we often believe things will get better by themselves.

Well folks!  Let’s not do that any longer!

Address these “slippages” or “smaller issues” right from the beginning and develop a plan to first acknowledge them, and subsequently correct them.

3. Doing it all by yourself

Here you are: It is 6pm already and you still must schedule meetings, review risk matrices, resolve issues, write up a requirements, check the project plan, etc.

And no, you are not Superman or Wonder Woman!   You are human.

Just breathe and ask yourself,  Can someone in my team help?   

It is totally okay to ask for help and designate someone else to do something for you so that you can focus on the strategic, important priorities that only you can address.

4. Not recognizing your teams victories and successes often enough

Take the time to celebrate your team’s victories.

Why not?  We often bypass that step as we do not want to be too much of a softy or show emotions. Who cares really?  Just do it! Recognize in small or big ways how the people around you exceed expectations.

Things as small as “I appreciate you,” “Glad you are on the team,” “Well done today Team,” and even stating a pseudo bad news like “We just resolved our 100th bug!,” all make a difference.

Find the positive and create an empathetic environment.  You would be surprised at how a person who receives sincere encouragement soon realizes that giving praise to others is as rewarding as receiving accolades. 

Nurture a culture of positivity!

5.    Finally…taking care of ourselves

By working remotely, it is harder to separate work from home.

If you find yourself at your desk late at night or pulling 12 hour-days consecutively, simply ask yourself:  How bad will it be if I do not get this done today, tonight, this very instance?  Is this a must-have?  Wouldn’t I be more productive if I was to take a break now?

You need to plan for you too in your project.  

Projects need sane, healthy, and happy leadership - take care everyone!