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5 Common Project Management Challenges

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Project managers directly contribute to an organization’s productivity. With the increasing need for organizations to employ project managers, it’s imperative that professionals are equipped with project management skills and knowledge for future roles.     

Here are some common project management challenges that project managers face: 

1. Scope Creep 

All projects should have a scope agreed upon before beginning. Adobe defines project scope as, “a component of project implementation that helps determine goals, constraints, workflow management strategies, tasks, and deliverables.” Without a clear project scope, you risk scope creep, a common challenge in project management. Scope creep is when aspects of the project change without a formal request. Oftentimes scope creep causes increased stress among the team, budget issues and pushed deadlines.

2. Exceeding the Budget

It takes money to successfully complete a project, and an agreed-upon budget should be set in place. However, exceeding the budget is a common project management challenge caused by various factors. According to PMI’s Pulse of the Profession 2021 report, only 59% of traditional enterprises complete projects within the original budget. Typical reasons include inaccurate project budget estimates, poor communication with stakeholders, lack of a contingency plan and poor resource planning.      

3. The Unrealistic Deadline

With 58% of traditional enterprises not completing projects on time, one can assume an unrealistic deadline is one of the causes. When projects aren’t completed on time, this affects the planned budget, the stress of team members and the overall success of the project. Managers need to communicate with stakeholders about realistic deadlines and voice their concerns about possible delays to set the right completion goals. 

4. Lacking Skills of Team Members

An important job of a project manager is to choose the right people with the right skills. It’s normal for there to be a skill gap among team members, especially for large projects. Project managers know the amount of skill gap. 

They also know when a potential team member has too large of a skill gap (when it exceeds 30%) and shouldn’t be part of the project. Depending on the organization, in these situations, managers may outsource parts of a project if there’s not enough time to train in-house employees or if it’s not important enough to develop the skill. In the end, if team members possess too large of a skill gap, then it presents a challenge for completion.            

5. Low Engagement From Stakeholders

Project Management Institute defines a stakeholder as “an individual, group, or organization who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project, program, or portfolio.” Stakeholders are imperative and shouldn’t be hands-off when it comes to projects. Without direct communication from them, a team quickly feels left in the dark. When specific stakeholders are wired into the project from the beginning with timelines, agreed-upon expectations and definitions of success and failure, a project is more likely to be seen to the end.  

Overcome Challenges Project Managers Face

Concordia University Chicago’s online MBA in Project Management program prepares you to overcome these 5 common project management challenges and more that are bound to come your way.

This online Project Management MBA includes all 12 courses featured in the core MBA degree program, plus three additional courses that focus exclusively on project management:

  • MBAP 6605 – Managing Projects
  • MBAP 6610 – Project Resources and Teams
  • MBAP 6615 – Project Monitoring and Control 

Expert instructors also fully prepare you for project management certifications including the Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) professional certification exams.    

To learn more about Concordia University Chicago’s online MBA in Project Management program visit our overview page today or get in touch by using the form below.

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