# 3 Reason Projects Fail – Egos!

These are all contributing factors to project failure. Big egos have a very tough time giving up the reins. They fear that no one can do it all as well as themselves. Big egos need to step aside for the sake of the success of projects.
These are all contributing factors to project failure. Big egos have a very tough time giving up the reins. They fear that no one can do it all as well as themselves. Big egos need to step aside for the sake of the success of projects.
These are all contributing factors to project failure. Big egos have a very tough time giving up the reins. They fear that no one can do it all as well as themselves. Big egos need to step aside for the sake of the success of projects.

 

ego2The past two weeks I have addressed 2 or my top 3 reasons for project failure.

 

We started with lousy requirements.  The day should be gone when professional project managers take on a new project without clear, well researched and documented customer requirements and detailed specifications on the project.  But unbelievably, we still do and we wonder why it all blows up in our faces mid-stream.

 

Then we went to poor change management practices. Things changes – all the time.  We should understand this and be prepared for it – any time within the life-cycle of the project.  Without embracing change management within our projects we are sure to be at risk of another failure.

 

Today, the last in my list of top 3 reasons projects fail is a little out-of-the-box thinking.  Egos get in the way of project success.

 

Team members, project managers or owners can be guilty of:

  • taking on more than they are able to
  • hiding reality from stakeholders for fear of looking bad
  • believing they can do it all without turning to their team
  • failing to hire the right people for the job

 

These are all contributing factors to project failure. Big egos have a very tough time giving up the reins. They fear that no one can do it all as well as themselves. Big egos need to step aside for the sake of the success of projects.

 

Just to be clear, big egos can get in the way of success in those large corporate projects as well. No projects are immune from the risk of an strong ego afraid of looking weak.

 

Late, over budget, out of scope project delivery means your project failed. Great project managers will look carefully for the reasons why. Brave project managers may have to admit that they didn’t know enough about the customers needs, they weren’t prepared for change or they themselves got in the way during the process.

 

Images courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Share

More Posts

Working with a Disengaged Team

I have been watching a friend struggle recently as she tries to manage a team of people who were not engaged.  Read… ‘they really didn’t care’.  The result is demoralizing

Now is the Time to Find Your Coach

Well, actually it was time to find your coach a long time ago. But that’s alright.  There’s still time. They figured out many moons ago that professional athletes needed coaches.

Do You Ask Enough Questions?

‘The secret to life’ suggested my father, is to ask questions. Be inquisitive, he said, with everyone you meet and everything you see. Asking questions comes naturally to me –

Subscribe to my blog

1 thought on “# 3 Reason Projects Fail – Egos!”

Leave a Reply

Scroll to Top
%d bloggers like this: