Projects fail all the time. Sometimes they fail spectacularly. Deadlines fly by, budgets burn out, and final results don’t quite look like they did in the beginning. Whether the project is internal, external, Agile, Waterfall, or some combination of both, the reasons behind failure are usually the same. Understand these pitfalls, and you can establish ground rules that will help ensure your projects succeed.
Rule One: Understand When a Project Is a Project
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is failing to recognize when something is actually a project. It’s easy to treat a complex initiative like business as usual (BAU), expecting teams to handle it on the side without giving it the structure, resources, or attention it requires. This leads to missed deadlines, poorly defined outcomes, and confused priorities.
Projects are special. They aren’t BAU. Typically, projects aim to deliver something that stands outside the scope of normal business practices. To achieve something beyond the ordinary, you need to enable a different kind of effort—one that involves dedicated resources, structured planning, and focused attention.
The key difference between BAU and a project is that a project has a finite period with a clear start, middle, and end. It delivers a unique outcome or product that stands apart from ongoing operations. While BAU processes, like manufacturing and delivery, may involve multiple people and steps, they’re ongoing by nature. Projects, on the other hand, are temporary and goal-driven, with a focus on achieving specific outcomes.
Rule Two: Understand the Project Triangle
Successful projects balance three elements: time, budget, and scope—the project triangle. These elements are connected; adjusting one impacts the others.
You can pick two out of three. If a project is delivered fast and on budget, scope may suffer. Meet deadlines and deliver to scope, and the budget often increases. Stick to budget and scope, and timelines stretch. Juggling time, budget, and scope is like trying to keep three plates spinning at once. And just when you think you've got it, someone hands you a fourth: quality.
Quality can’t be sacrificed just because the project triangle is under pressure. If time or budget constraints lead to cutting corners,the final product may disappoint stakeholders and cause the project to fail.
Managing trade-offs is what makes projects successful. It’s impossible to deliver everything on a tight budget and timeline without affecting quality. Balance competing priorities to ensure results without compromise.
Rule Three: Set Clear Goals and Objectives
If you don’t have clear goals and objectives, you’ll never know when the project is complete. Moreover, you won’t know if it’s been a success. Whether managing internal projects aligned with company strategy or delivering external client work, defining goals early keeps the project on course.
For internal projects, the goals should directly align with your company’s strategic framework, whether OKRs, balanced scorecards, or another method. It’s important that the project moves the business closer to its long-term objectives, like improving operational efficiency or reducing costs.
External projects typically focus on delivering specific outcomes for a client, often with a revenue target in mind.some external projects, such as compliance initiatives, are about managing risk rather than generating income.
How you approach project goals also depends on the management methodology. Waterfall projects require fixed goals set at the start. Precise planning ensures all requirements are captured. In contrast, Agile projects allow goals to evolve as new information arises, though this demands continuous communication with stakeholders. With Waterfall, you set the course early and stick to it. Agile? It’s like navigating with a map but making detours along the way when you spot something interesting.
Whatever the methodology, project goals must be specific, measurable, and time-bound, ensuring that deadlines and resources are set realistically from the outset.
Practical Tip: A well-scoped goal for an internal project might look like: “Reduce the average response time of the customer service team by 20% over the next quarter by implementing a new ticketing system.” This goal is specific, measurable, and time-bound.
Rule Four: Plan and Allocate Resources Properly
Every organisation faces more project opportunities than it has resources to execute. Strategic project selection ensures only the most valuable projects move forward, and tools like kill boards help prioritise what to pursue.
Projects, whether internal or external, must align with business goals and realistic resource allocation. Internal projects should contribute to long-term strategic objectives like cost reduction or efficiency. External projects often focus on revenue generation but should also align with broader company goals.
The approach to resource planning varies by organisation size. Large enterprises often have more resources but face complex, resource-heavy projects. Startups have fewer resources, making careful prioritisation crucial to avoid spreading teams too thin.
Many projects start under-resourced, leading to missed deadlines or budget overruns. Balancing the Project Triangle from the start helps avoid these pitfalls. Pragmatic planning requires honest estimates of what’s needed and flexibility to adjust if things change.
Not every project can or should get approved. Strategic filtering means ensuring that large, resource-heavy projects align with long-term company goals. Effective planning and resource allocation keep the project on track and allow room for necessary adjustments along the way.
Rule Five: Communicate then Communicate Some More
90% of project management is communication. If people don’t know what’s happening, your project will fail. Ensure that executives, team members, and external stakeholders all understand the project’s goals, progress, and challenges. If your team’s playing ‘guess what’s next,’ you’re probably not communicating enough. Over-communication isn’t a problem. Under-communication is.
When you think you’ve communicated enough, communicate some more.
Rule Six: Manage Risks Early and Proactively
There are no happily-ever-afters in project management unless risks are identified and managed actively throughout the project. Early identification and prioritisation are essential, and risk management is an ongoing process.
Risks must be identified, assessed, and either eliminated, managed, or mitigated. The best approach is to identify risks through brainstorming sessions and manage them transparently. When risks are communicated openly, the project team can react effectively and prevent small issues from becoming major obstacles.
No matter the project—internal or external, Agile or Waterfall—success depends on a few fundamental ground rules. Understand when a project is truly a project, plan your resources effectively, communicate openly, and manage risks proactively. These steps will keep your projects on track and help deliver results.
At Squirrel9, we’ve guided businesses through complex projects, helping them overcome challenges and scale successfully. If you’re looking to improve your project management or tackle a particularly difficult initiative, we’re here to help.
Book an appointment with us here or through LinkedIn, and let’s discuss how we can help your business manage projects more effectively and achieve your goals.
This article was first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/back-basics-six-ground-rules-project-success-squirrel9-jyrqe
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