Early in my career, I tended to obsess over the triple constraint and this led me to ignore the expected outcomes for the project. We ended up delivering the project within schedule, scope & cost constraints, but the real value expected was never realized. I learned from this early failure and never lost sight of the expected outcome on future projects.
PMO Leader | Speaker & Mentor | Content Leader – PMOGA Latin America
Hub| Catholic University of UruguayMontevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
n my initial projects, my focus was on strict compliance with established procedures. Over time, I learned to adapt my approach to find a balance between structure and flexibility, always with the goal of maximizing the value delivered to the client. Saving Changes...
One of the most challenging mistakes I made as a project manager was underestimating the complexity of a project’s scope early in my career. This led to misallocated resources and timeline delays.
Recognizing the issue, I immediately re-evaluated the project plan, brought the team together for a reassessment, and communicated transparently with stakeholders about the revised expectations. By realigning the project objectives and enhancing our monitoring processes, we were able to get the project back on track.
This experience taught me the importance of thorough planning and proactive communication in project management. Saving Changes...
Early in my career I forgot a key stakeholders... since then keeping an accurate stakehorlders registry and RACI matrix are a "must to have" Saving Changes...
Anonymous
i transitioned from technical role into project management. My issue was focussing on resolving technical issues myself. This caused issues as my time was lost on focussing on resolving technical issues and ignoring PM roles and responsibilities. Saving Changes...
Early in my career I thought that if I could provide the most well reasoned argument, then everybody would see the wisdom of my recommendation. That's when I realized the importance of the phrase "Culture eats strategy for lunch." Saving Changes...
Earlier in my career,I was focussed on delivering project to meet the scope and timelines.I was so quick to accept customer tight timelines irrespective of its effect on the resources especially human resource.Team members became dissatisfied and complained about my inhumane behaviour.I learnt to negotiate well and effectively engage project team before finalising delivery timelines with clients. Saving Changes...
Mujtaba TariqPMO / IT Project Manager| ABACUSLahore, PB, Pakistan
Early in my career, I faced challenges with project planning, but over time, I learned how to better plan projects. Through experience, I developed stronger organizational skills and learned to anticipate potential risks. I also improved my ability to allocate resources effectively and set realistic timelines. These skills have enabled me to manage projects more efficiently and ensure successful outcomes.
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1 reply by Bruce A Hayes
Aug 01, 2025 1:28 AM
Bruce A Hayes
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Planning gets short-changed too often. When a project starts sponsord are anxious to see requirments starting. Delaying that a week or three let"s the team psrticipate in developimg a Project Plan, and the Project Schedule. This ensures the team knows how they sre going to work, and their voices were heard in creatung the schedule. These two things will really kick-start the team"s productivity!
Saving Changes...
KHAOULA BEN ALIProgram Manager consultant At OPmobility| Global Engineering ServicesHaut de France, France
Early in my career, I was overly focused on customer satisfaction and often went above and beyond to find solutions, even if it meant exceeding time and resource constraints. I later learned that while the project manager represents the customer's interests, they must also balance those needs with the company's overall business objectives. Saving Changes...
Bruce A HayesProject Manager, Scrum Master, Product Owner, and freelance Trainer.| Available to partner with you. Let's review your needs to see if we are
a match.Fort Wayne, IN, United States
Sep 11, 2024 8:54 AM
Replying to Mujtaba Tariq
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Early in my career, I faced challenges with project planning, but over time, I learned how to better plan projects. Through experience, I developed stronger organizational skills and learned to anticipate potential risks. I also improved my ability to allocate resources effectively and set realistic timelines. These skills have enabled me to manage projects more efficiently and ensure successful outcomes.
Planning gets short-changed too often. When a project starts sponsord are anxious to see requirments starting. Delaying that a week or three let"s the team psrticipate in developimg a Project Plan, and the Project Schedule. This ensures the team knows how they sre going to work, and their voices were heard in creatung the schedule. These two things will really kick-start the team"s productivity! Saving Changes...
"Ambition is like a frog sitting on a Venus Flytrap. The flytrap can bite and bite, but it won't bother the frog because it only has little tiny plant teeth. But some other stuff could happen and it could be like ambition."
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