How to Spot Roadblocks in Project Management

SpotTING Roadblocks

Three key barriers consistently hold teams back.

In last week’s article, I wrote about the human side of project management, and how to spot potential roadblocks that are holding your team back.

This week, I’ll focus on three of the most common roadblocks I’ve seen, and offer a simple fix for each.

1) Lack of time. Only not really, because time is the one resource we all share equally! Instead, the issue is lack of prioritization, and much of that falls on the Project Manager’s shoulders. If team members feel overwhelmed, or like they’re burning the candle at both ends, it’s a golden opportunity for the Project Manager to clarify priorities and create a workable hierarchy for knocking out major tasks.

2) Lack of resources. This includes everything from software to skills training, and much of it might fall outside your sphere of influence. Sure, it’s a PM’s job to advocate for the resources a project needs, but if you’re managing a group of freelancers operating remotely, your ability to keep their personal work terminals up to date is probably limited. Even still, you can help them make the best of the resources available. If several people have slow laptops, consider shifting the project to a less resource-intensive software or a more efficient workflow. Where appropriate, consolidate log-in credentials to eliminate time wasted in the search for passwords. Create accessible knowledge centers that allow team members to educate one another and avoid reinventing the wheel.

3) Lack of personal investment. The worst part of micromanagement isn’t the part where you drive people crazy. Rather, it’s the part where your team loses any kind of personal connection to the work they’re performing. Once, in my early days of PMing, I bent so far backwards to automate a workflow that I turned my team into glorified box tickers and checklist executors. There was no room for innovation, and even less for the joy of discovery. Imagination stagnated, and so did morale.

So yes, do your best to structure, guide, and facilitate your team’s success, but don’t underestimate their creativity or their ability to teach you a thing or two about your own profession. They’ll surprise you every time!