Tough Project? Ten Insights for True Success as a Project Manager

We’ve All Been There

Whether  you’re a new project manager or seasoned management professional, it’s a safe bet you’ve encountered one, and likely many, projects that have failed. Anyone who spends time at the office water-cooler can likely attest to this. Trading these “war stories” has almost become an unofficial hallmark of seasoned project managers. Here, it’s important that we define failure. Certainly, failure often means not delivering on the project objectives. However, by taking a closer look at the impact of failing circumstances in the project environment we can arrive at a helpful call to action for all project managers.

Redefining Failure

In my experience, the above definition of failure can, and should, be expanded to include the negative impact of a troubling project environment in pursuit of project objectives. In other words, at what cost was success achieved or strived for? If a year-long project barely meets the most basic objectives, but internal relationships were ruined, communication barriers arose where they did not exist, and key resources left, was the project a success? If team members sacrificed personal time, fought with coworkers, or became jaded with their careers, will the ultimate impact of the project on the company still be a success? Did the project experience help …