5 Project Management Ideas that Should be Extinct

May 16, 2021 - 7 min read

Lionel Valdellon

Project management has a wide spectrum of effective approaches. Everything from hands-off supervision to management by walking around... And then there are the ideas that should go the way of the dinosaur — disappear in a ball of flames.

This is just a list of the top 5 PM ideas that should be extinct. And if they are still rearing their prehistoric heads in your organization, perhaps it's up to you to lay them to rest once and for all. Read on:

1. "Let's Manage the Project by Email"

Everyone has heard at least one project manager say: "Email me a status report." This is the old-school method of requesting project status updates. Because according to this project manager, there is no better method for reporting on what's been done and where you're roadblocked. Which, of course, means that all comments from him or her will also be sent through email. And we all know how that ends: in back-and-forth communication that is 23 emails thick, with 7 buried attachments, lost in the noise and confusion of a cluttered inbox. "When did you send that updated slide deck again? What was the subject line? I can't find it. Can you resend?"

The truth is there are better, more collaborative PM tools than email. In fact, it seems like a new one comes out almost every month. These tools transfer the bulk of your communication and status updates away from email and compile them into the PM tool, allowing projects to thrive outside the stranglehold of your inbox.

Your action: Find a better PM tool than email.

2. "Let's Have Longer Meetings"

There seems to be a prevalent idea in older generations that meetings are where the real work gets done. Ergo, longer meetings mean more work accomplished. And the more people in a meeting, the more everyone engages with what's happening in the project. Right?

Um, no.

David Allen, productivity guru and author of Getting Things Done, says that there are really only five reasons to have a meeting:

1. Give info
2. Get info
3. Produce options
4. Make decisions
5. Bask in the warmth of actual human contact (yay!)

A large part of every successful meeting is everyone agreeing what the objective for the meeting is. And note that Allen didn't include reason #6: Waste people's time.

The truth is, not everyone needs to be in a meeting. If someone's work is not directly affected by the agenda of a meeting, leave him to his work. Alternatively, if not everyone is needed for every discussion point, schedule the agenda so that you start with the majority of attendees and individuals can drop off once their portions are done. This motivates people to keep things short so everyone can get back to work.

Also, meetings take time -- and time is your team's most precious resource. If it's spent going over details that could have been disseminated via email, or discussing items relevant to only one person in the room, then that's a waste of everyone's time. Schedule one-on-one consultations outside of meeting times, and use a collaboration tool to monitor the status of any task so there is less reporting being done face to face.

Your action: Cut down the length of your meetings, and use a timer to enforce it!

3. "Let's Only Hire Local People to Work Onsite"

You know it all too well, this bias toward hiring people who can come into the office everyday and work with you face-to-face. Admittedly, it does make the work routine easier if you can traipse on down to a cubicle and tell your team member what needs to be revised. But here's the question: what if the skills you need CAN'T be sourced in your immediate vicinity? And if you find someone who fits the job description, speaks your language, and can do the job but lives on the other side of the world, would you hesitate to hire him due to physical barriers?

We're not in the 19th century anymore. There are advanced communication tools out there like Skype, Google Hangouts, and Facetime that allow you to chat with people remotely, with or without cameras. And once again, there are PM tools that live in the cloud, so collaboration and work can be done from any location with internet connectivity. The technology exists, so use it!

Your action: Every time you recruit for a job, consider not requiring an onsite presence. Include the line "Remote work possible *for the right candidate.*"

4. "Let's Stick to the Plan, No Matter What"

Have you ever worked under a project manager with no flexibility? It's a hell forged from the embers of micromanagement and the molten lava of ruthless dictatorship. To this kind of manager, the project plan is sacred and must be followed at all costs. Even when requirements change, team members disappear, or deadlines shift.

Unfortunately for the uncompromising manager, life never works out the way we planned. Everything is in flux and project managers need to be flexible enough to juggle priorities and resources as needed. Otherwise, by sticking to a rigid plan, companies will deliver products that customers don't even want or need.

Your action: Have a complete project plan, but be ready to change it up. Changes are not evil. They're challenges and opportunities to deliver better outcomes.

5. "Let's Describe Tasks Very Loosely and 'Wing It'"

Are there still people like this, you ask? Yes. The ones who have vague project plans. The ones who send project briefs with only a title ("Please write an eBook for our email offer") or a general deliverable ("Create a new home page design") and never provide any details. The project is not properly kicked off, and the manager never actually formalizes their deliverable expectations. Team members are left wondering what reference material should be used, or what the business objectives are, because the project manager didn't bother to write a real project brief.

Not giving a clear description of the output is just asking your team to be inefficient. Why not give them everything at the start, and then communicate with them what needs to be done before assigning it to them? Make sure you set expectations loud and clear. It boils down to efficiency and respect: give them everything they need to be efficient, and respect their time.

Your action: Complete every project brief/task description and communicate with the team BEFORE the project starts!

The way we all work is rapidly evolving. And in order to use these changes to our benefit, we should be ready to adapt how we manage our projects. Which is why these five ideas need to be put to rest. They're archaic and inefficient, and instead of bringing you closer to your goals, they end up obstructing your road to success.

Your turn: What project management ideas do YOU think should be extinct? Hit the comments and tell us.

Lionel Valdellon

Lionel is a former Content Marketing Manager of Wrike. He is also a blogger since 1997, a productivity enthusiast, a project management newbie, a musician and producer of electronic downtempo music, a father of three, and a husband of one.

#Project Management Methodologies #Project Management Advice

Project Management 5 min read

10 Phrases That Can Ruin Your Project Kickoff Meeting

A project kickoff meeting is a lot like tuning a music band before an important gig: set the wrong pitch and even Chopsticks might turn into a cacophony. The fact is, how you get started matters. In the case of a kickoff meeting, a couple of careless phrases can discourage and mislead your team. To help you avoid a sloppy project start caused by poor word choices, we dug in, asked around, and gathered a list of the top anti-favorites of all time. Check out why you need to put these phrases on your blacklist: 1. “We don’t have a defined deadline yet, but we need to finish this iteration ASAP!” Why it’s no good: Our recent survey has showed that 54.6% of employees find deadlines inspiring. So even if you don’t have a precise deadline for the whole project yet, make sure you give an ETA for its milestones. Try this instead: “This project has an approximate time frame of X weeks. This phase needs to be completed by (date). What can we do to finish it faster?” 2. “HOW you do it is not relevant. I just need it done” Why it’s no good: Sometimes a firm approach can energize your team, but uncompromising statements like the one above can only discourage them. We definitely don’t point you to micromanagement instead, but speaking about some basic how-to’s might be handy. Try this instead: “Dave, you’ll be responsible for this part. Follow these guidelines... Please finish it by…” 3. “I want you to give this project 110%.” Why it’s no good: According to team members’ complaints all over the web, they heard this phrase so many times that it has actually lost any motivational ring. Moreover, some employees even find it scary: “I know I will give my full effort. But do they want me to work even harder, longer hours to prove myself?” Try this instead: “Let’s combine our best efforts and do great work — like I know we can!” 4. “We need to start actioning this item.” Why it’s no good: This confusing jargon can leave your team wondering what exactly it was all about. Was this some sophisticated way to say “start working on a task?” Try this instead: “This task is urgent. First thing we need to do is…, then we can proceed to…” 5. “We need to think outside the box as we work on this project.” Why it’s no good: That’s our all-time least favorite phase. Employees find it annoying and extremely overused, and apparently thinking inside the box can be useful, too. Try this instead: “Let’s approach this problem from a different angle," or, "Let’s discuss alternative options.” 6. “Let’s begin this project by grabbing the low hanging fruit first.” Why it’s no good: It’s another overused expression, and some managers admit they even find it embarrassing. Spare your team’s imagination. Keep it simple. Try this instead: “Let’s cover the simple tasks/areas first and then move on to the more complicated ones.” 7. “Tim, aside from the development part, please keep graphic design on your radar.” Why it’s no good: Do you mean “coordinate”, “observe”, or “check on the progress”? Metaphors are great, but there’s no guarantee that you and your colleague will understand it in the same way. Try this instead: “Tim, please coordinate with the design department on this task," or, "Check on the progress with… and report to…” 8. “This project will take the industry to the next level/ will be revolutionary/ groundbreaking/ etc.” Why it’s no good: We are sure your project is amazing, but your internal kickoff meeting is not the place for buzz. Cheering words won’t harm, but it’s better to keep them constructive and clear. Try this instead: “Our project stands out because… We have the following goals to achieve…” 9. “Let’s take this part of discussion offline.” Why it’s no good: If your meeting is face-to face, this phrase doesn’t seem to make much sense. And from what we’ve learned around the web, that’s why it’s so irritating. How much more “offline” can you be? Try this instead: “Let’s discuss this matter privately/separately/at the next meeting.” 10. “Don’t worry about the problems. We’re here to discuss solutions.” Why it’s no good: Any project could face bumps along the road, so neglecting the possible risks will discourage your team and make them fear difficulties. After all, forewarned is forearmed. Try this instead: “We might face the problems like… To prevent them or be ready for them, we need…” What phrases do you avoid during project kickoffs? A project kickoff meeting helps your team understand what the new project is about, grasp their specific roles and responsibilities, and gets them ready for the challenges they might face. To ensure that your team didn't miss anything important, you need to keep your vocabulary simple, clear, and to the point. After all, you want your team to leave the conference room ready to move mountains, not just feeling relieved that it’s all over, don’t you? What are other phrases you’d hate to hear at a kickoff meeting? Or maybe you’re guilty of using some of the listed ones yourself? ;-)

Project Management 7 min read

Project Management Methodologies Review (Part 1)

Choosing a project management methodology is like choosing which recipe to follow when baking chocolate chip cookies. One recipe might use room-temperature butter while another recommends melted margarine, or call for dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet chips. Each recipe gives you delicious cookies, but the steps, ingredients and techniques are all a little different to suit your tastebuds. You should pick your PM methodology based on your available ingredients: project constraints, timeline, tools, and people. Read through this list of common project management methodologies and see if they sound like they fit your project or organization. We include brief descriptions, pros, and cons for each, and if one captures your attention, we definitely encourage further research. Here's the first half of our PM methodologies list: 1. Adaptive Project Framework (APF)The APF method strives to learn from experience. These projects begin with a Requirements Breakdown Structure to define strategic project goals based on product requirements, functions, sub-functions, and features. As they proceed, teams continually evaluate previous results to improve policies and practices at each stage of the project lifecycle. Clients/stakeholders can change project scope at the start of each stage so the team can produce the most business value. PRO: This is a good approach for when you know what your goal is and aren't sure of the best way to get there.CON: Due to its flexibility, the Adaptive Framework may lead to project delays or increased budgets. 2. Agile Project ManagementGreat chefs taste their food as they cook so they can add new ingredients to create the best dish. Agile is like tasting our project as we go and adjusting it accordingly. Planning begins with clients describing how the end product will be used, its benefits, and so on, so the team gets a good understanding of the expectations. Once the project has begun, teams cycle through the process of planning, executing, and evaluating tasks — which might change the final deliverable. Continuous collaboration is key, both among team members and with project stakeholders, to make fully-informed decisions. PRO: This approach is beneficial for creative projects with goals that are flexible and can be modified midway.CON: Timelines and budgets are difficult to define, and stakeholders must have the time and desire to be actively involved in the day-to-day work. Confused about the difference between APF and Agile? We’ll break it down for you: with APF, your end goal is clear, but your method for achieving that goal will change based on your experience at each stage of the project. With Agile, your end goals are less defined. Each stage brings feedback from stakeholders to help guide your decisions and improve or alter the final product. 3. Benefits RealizationThis project management methodology redefines success as not just delivering the package on time and with money to spare, but achieving a desired benefit. Here's an example: say your clients want to increase their sales conversion rate by 15%. They hire you to manage the development of a new CRM software that will help the sales team personalize their communications, track sales data, and determine ideal communication timelines. You deliver a CRM with those features on time and within budget. Success, right? What if your client's sales conversion rates only increase by 5%? With benefits realization, your project isn't successfully completed until the client's desired benefits are achieved — in this case, until the sales conversion rate is up 15%. PRO: This approach ensures that your projects contribute real value to the business and deliver the end results your stakeholders care about.CON: Benefits aren't always exact, measurable, or scientific, so it can be difficult to know if they've been achieved — or if your project actually contributed to that success. You'll need to put careful thought into developing effective metrics to measure the outcomes of your project, such as ROI, process capability, faster delivery times, or higher customer satisfaction. 4. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)Project delays are usually caused by resources that aren't available when you need them. CCPM avoids that by building a project schedule that first identifies a "critical chain" of tasks and then reserving resources for those tasks. Your project timeline may be longer, but you’ve got a higher probability of predicting realistic deadlines. PRO: Tasks can be collaborated on because you know that all key players are available when you need them.CON: This approach may not be effective for projects with short deadlines, since CCPM plans build in extra time buffers along the critical chain. 5. Critical Path Method (CPM)Determine your project's shortest timeline and adjust to shifting deadlines using CPM. You'll start by looking at all the tasks absolutely necessary to complete your project, and then estimating completion times for each step, including task dependencies, milestones, and final deliverables. PRO: Specific dates can be assigned to each task, so managers can compare what should be happening with what is happening on a daily basis. It's optimal for projects with short deadlines.CON: Critics say a major drawback is that CPM doesn’t consider resource availability in planning, so you may be left with an overly optimistic plan. 6. Event Chain Methodology (ECM)Most projects don’t go exactly according to plan. Risks are difficult to identify and analyze, and project managers may be under pressure by stakeholders to create optimistic timelines, budgets, or deliverables. Event chain methodology helps recognize and plan for potential risks that may lie outside the project scope. By using techniques like Monte Carlo Analysis and Event Chain Diagrams, project managers can see how external events affect project tasks and determine the probability of certain risks occurring. PRO: By visualizing the relationship between external events and tasks, managers can create more realistic project plans.CON: It's easy to forget that external events aren't just threats to your project — they can also present opportunities. Don't automatically squash all potential risks and fail to capitalize on fortunate circumstances. 7. Extreme Programming (XP)XP features short development cycles, frequent releases, and constant client collaboration. Productivity is high, and the approach is well-suited to complex or undefined projects. These teams allow for change within their sprints; if the team hasn't started work on a feature, a similar task can be swapped out to replace it. Teams avoid overworking themselves through effective collaboration and by writing the simplest possible code to produce the desired feature. PRO: XP is efficient, with a focus on simplicity. Teams work at a sustainable pace, meaning no 80-hour work weeks leading to burnout and low-quality output.CON: Critics warn that the XP approach's strength lies too much in the ingenuity of unique team members rather than with process itself. 8. KanbanIf a continuous workflow and outputting a slow and steady stream of deliverables are your main priorities, Kanban is your man. Managers create visual representations for the workflow (often using a whiteboard or sticky notes) to uncover process problems and prevent tasks from stalling as "works in progress." The sticky notes move across the board to tangibly represent project progress. PRO: Kanban helps teams understand where their time is really being spent so you can improve efficiency.CON: Variations in customer demand — like the start of the holiday season, or a drop-off due to a recall — can make Kanban inefficient, since it’s designed to produce a steady output. Find a project management methodology you like? Itching for more bite-sized breakdowns? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post, where we'll cover 8 more essential methodologies as the next chapter in your PM handbook. Does your company use one of these PM methodologies? Is it good? Bad? Tell us about your experience with it in the comments below. Related Posts: • Project Management Basics: A Review of PM Methodologies (Part 2) • A Crash-Course in Project Management Methodologies (Infographic)

Project Management 5 min read

Startups Should Lean on Lean Project Management

We are living in a world of entrepreneurs. Chances are you know one (at least), or you have your own ideas waiting to come to fruition. But ideas are expensive in reality. The question is, how can you get the most bang for your buck? How can CEOs and managers save money while chasing their dreams and accomplishing their goals? Enter Lean project management. It is the star of simultaneous project frugality and product quality for businesses. As a more recent PM methodology, the term "lean startup" is credited as first appearing on Eric Ries' blog in 2008. In the midst of the high-turnover startup movement, Ries evangelized the need for fiscal responsibility and increased production speed in order to decrease the number of failed startups. The idea caught on like wildfire, spreading to entrepreneurs all over the globe. The #1 priority of running Lean PM is to eliminate wasted resources, known as mura. Extra labor, extra time, and extra materials that don't add value to the product or service — they all need to go. Focus on getting something in front of the customer quickly and without spending all your money. So how can you decide what resources you're wasting in order to run lean? Here are some lean product management principles. Declare Your MVP Before you can run lean, you must find your MVP — your Minimum Viable Product. It is the smallest number of features that need to be developed in order to push your product or service to your early adopters. Focus all your time, energy, and money on developing just your MVP, and nothing else. Yes, that means your product or service won't be completely evolved to fulfill all your dreams or the product roadmap, but it will be functional. With it, you can start learning and earning — learning about customers' needs as they interact with your MVP, and earning money to expand upon the rest of your ideas. If your resources are going into developing an extra feature beyond the MVP ("It's just a little thing, it won't take much!") you are wasting time, manpower, and money. And you could be setting yourself up as the next failed startup. Every second and every dollar counts. You'll have time to expand upon the rest of your ideas later, but for now, speed is essential. Focus on getting something out there so that you can move on to the next step: improving your product through validated learning. Build-Measure-Learn Finding your MVP is not the end of the Lean PM. Eliminating mura is not enough for success. Startups fail because they don't create a process to measure progress, learn from mistakes, and improve for the future. Once you 1. BUILD your MVP, you need to 2. MEASURE customer response and feedback, and then 3. LEARN from that feedback and change your plans accordingly. Only give customers what they want. If they don't want it, then they won't pay for it, and you're risking failure by wasting resources to build something customers don't want. Every time you create something new or add a new feature, you must measure and learn to see if the planned next step should actually still be the next step. Remember, time is a resource too, and it's not on your side. Ries said, "Startups that succeed are those that manage to iterate enough times before running out of resources." You should be constantly evaluating your work-process breakdown to make sure you are only spending resources where necessary. This is true even after rolling out your initial MVP. Lean PM is not temporary! More Resources There are many great resources out there that go into depth about Lean project management and how you can implement it for your startup to do more with less. I recommend checking out these three: theleanstartup.comThe official website created by Eric Ries. It details the 5 principles of Lean PM and gives you great case studies from companies who ran lean and are succeeding. The Lean StartupThe book written by Eric Ries about his Lean startup movement. Even MORE detail than the website, it gives you Ries' recommendations for running lean and staying viable. Running LeanWritten by author Ash Maurya, with feedback from Eric Ries, this book of strategies breaks up the steps for successfully running lean — from creating your initial idea, to testing, to choosing the perfect time to raise funding. If you find your MVP and establish a process to learn from your customers, you have fought half the battle. It is difficult. Lean PM is a constant war against the urge to "add just one little thing" and spend time on side projects. But stick to your testing — if the customers don't want it now, you shouldn't build it! If you've ever thought about running lean, have tried and failed, or you are successfully running Lean PM at your company now, tell everyone about your Lean adventure in the comments. There's no better teacher than first-hand experience, and we'd love to learn from you.

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5 Project Management Ideas that Should be Extinct

1. "Let's Manage the Project by Email"

2. "Let's Have Longer Meetings"

3. "Let's Only Hire Local People to Work Onsite"

4. "Let's Stick to the Plan, No Matter What"

5. "Let's Describe Tasks Very Loosely and 'Wing It'"

Lionel Valdellon

5 Project Management Ideas that Should be Extinct

1. "Let's Manage the Project by Email"

2. "Let's Have Longer Meetings"

3. "Let's Only Hire Local People to Work Onsite"

4. "Let's Stick to the Plan, No Matter What"

5. "Let's Describe Tasks Very Loosely and 'Wing It'"

Lionel Valdellon

Related articles

10 Phrases That Can Ruin Your Project Kickoff Meeting

Project Management Methodologies Review (Part 1)

Startups Should Lean on Lean Project Management

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