With the Best Intentions: The Top 3 Blunders New Project Managers Unwittingly Make

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. 

I’m not sure that applies exactly to what I’ve written below but as I reflect on these mistakes, I can’t help but think that in most cases the actions come from a good place – be it a desire to impress, to seem competent and capable, or just to be helpful. 

These are not capital crimes that will cause your project to fail terribly. They are just behaviours which can sometimes have the opposite impact on your reputation than you might have been hoping for. They are mistakes I made when I was fresh-faced and green; and they are ones I still see new project managers making today.

1. Over-Committing to Senior Stakeholders

Remember when you were a kid and you promised your parents you’d clean your room in 10 minutes, only to find out that was a wild underestimation? That’s what happens when project managers promise certain deliverables by a definite date. 

Now, I get it. CEOs, those big bosses, love certainty. But here’s the thing – making a definitive commitment without a good foundation to rely on can come back to haunt you, and your team, later on. 

Wanting to impress and ensure senior stakeholders that you’re on top of things is natural. We’ve all been there, eager to establish our reliability.  

You want to exude confidence, but you’ve got to manage those expectations. Rather than give a commitment there and then, if you can, promise to get back to them in a few hours after you’ve assessed things.

If cornered on the spot for a definite answer, give yourself some wiggle room.  Say something like “I believe we can do it. Let me check with the team and confirm”. You’ve given yourself the opportunity to revise the commitment if needed. A commitment you can’t deliver on is worthless.

2. Over-Communicating to Senior Stakeholders

When you kickstart a project, particularly with new stakeholders, it can be very useful to provide comprehensive updates. This doesn’t just keep them informed; it establishes a foundation of trust and showcases your grip on the project’s intricacies. At that stage of the project, when uncertainty levels are high, sharing more details can be helpful to drive out ambiguity.

However, once the project finds its groove and stakeholders are more acquainted with its ebb and flow, you should reconsider the granularity of your updates. 

This isn’t about shutting out stakeholders, but more about tailoring the level of detail to the project’s phase and their evolving comfort with the operations. And with your handle on things. 

More times than I would like to admit, I’ve been in a status update where the project manager went on too long. You can see the moment the audience switch off and disengage. It’s painful to watch.

Respect their time. Be ready to provide more detail, but aim for concise, tailored, impactful updates as your default style. 

3. Pushing hard for every deadline

As you’re starting out, every deadline seems critical. Each a chance to build your credibility.

But there are deadlines and then there are DEADLINES.

There’s no point pushing your team to burn the midnight oil for something that doesn’t hugely impact the project. Distinguishing between the “nice-to-haves” and the “absolutely-must-haves” can make a world of difference. 

It gets easier to tell the difference over time. In the meantime you can gain valuable insights on which are which when in planning conversations with stakeholders. Slide in questions like, “Would it be a problem if this shifted by a day or two?” 

Not that you’re saying you’re going to delay, but their reaction? Gold. It tells you where the stakes truly lie. It helps you get a sense of which dates need to be met, and which ones  you have some flexibility with without impacting the project. 

The added bonus is that when your team realises that you’re discerning about which battles to pick, they’re more likely to step up when you identify a genuine crunch-time situation. You’ll only get to do that so many times in a project so use those times wisely.

Consider these insights a seasoned perspective, not steadfast rules. Take what resonates and adapt it to your unique journey. Good luck.