Ten project management mistakes EMs make: Part 1

New and experienced engineering leaders alike are prone to make mistakes. This and next week I’m going to highlight ten total mistakes EMs commonly make when it comes to project management, their risks, and how to avoid them. This may not seem like rocket science (because it’s not!) but as I said at the outset, even the most experienced EMs, myself included, can use this reminder.

1. Poor Communication

Whether you're balancing a lot of projects at once or you're just generally not that great of a communicator (it's okay, it's not a natural skill for a lot of people), poor communication can lead to confusion around timelines direction on the work that needs to be done and just conflict in general. The biggest risks to poor communication when it comes to product management is not getting an important product out on time or knowing it's going to take longer than the original deadline but not appropriately communicating that with key stakeholders.

Solution: Don’t skip your regular check-ins, keep channels of communication open (and encourage your team to discuss a project in an open channel, not in DMs), and keep detailed project documentation and updates so you can refer back to changes made and risks identified along the way. Don’t shy away from addressing a concern up front even if it’s a difficult situation.

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