As an entrepreneur with dozens of projects on your plate, staying organized is absolutely essential. Having the right project management strategies helps you accomplish your goals, stay on track, and keep everything organized.
Project management is all about optimizing your time so that you can achieve what needs to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Both big and small companies are taking advantage of what various project management strategies have to offer.
But unfortunately, there are lots of myths and misconceptions out there about project management. If you want to take advantage of project management strategies for your business, you need to know about these myths! That way, you’ll know what’s true—and be able to make way better decisions as you set up and implement project management strategies for your business.
7 Myths About Project Management Strategies
Let’s dive in and explore seven common myths about project management strategies. Once you understand these myths, you can more effectively make decisions about project management and what’s right for your business needs.
Myth #1: Process Is All That Matters
A lot of people are overwhelmed by the idea of project management because they think the process is all that matters. For most of us, coming up with solid processes for our businesses takes time…and it doesn’t come naturally.
But project management is about so much more than developing processes! It truly has so many benefits, from making sure you never miss a deadline to ensuring that work with clients is always at the right stage.
Finding the right project management strategies for your business does involve creating processes. But it also means setting yourself up for success in other ways!
Myth #2: Technology Is Always The Solution
Many project management strategies revolve around technology. But contrary to this popular myth, technology isn’t always the answer!
While lots of people would benefit from technology-based project management solutions, it really depends on your unique needs. Programs like Trello, Slack, Asana, and Microsoft Project all help organizations and businesses in various niches stay totally on track.
But if technology isn’t your strong suit, there’s no rule saying you have to use it (or that you can’t still manage your project effectively). Paper planners, post-it notes, and project management binders have their place, especially if technology is overwhelming for you.
Here’s the most basic truth: project management is all about finding a system that works for YOU!
Myth #3: Every Project Is Worth Completing
When you own a business, you likely have a million ideas running through your head at any given moment. But the idea that every project is worth completing? Total myth.
If you start on a project only to feel like it doesn’t light you up—or to realize it isn’t profitable—it’s okay to stop. You don’t have to finish a project just for the sake of finishing it!
And the truth is that not everything has to happen now. A big part of your project management should be writing down ideas to review later. You can slot time for brainstorming into your schedule while still focusing on what matters and staying on track with current deadlines.
Myth #4: Quickness Matters More Than Quality
When you think about project management, do you think about the idea of completing tasks as quickly as possible? Quickness over quality is another project management myth.
When you implement the right project management strategies, you’re going to be able to produce higher-quality work. You’ll be less overwhelmed and more able to focus on what matters! Plus, you’ll know exactly what you need to do and when (and have everything you need right at your fingertips).
Myth #5: The Plan Should Be Rigid
Another one of the biggest myths surrounding project management strategies is that once you make a plan, it should be totally rigid.
Once you implement a project management strategy, be flexible! Things change, and part of choosing the best strategy for your business is accounting for unexpected changes, shifts, and challenges.
As you hit milestones on projects, work with new clients, or strategize launches for your own business, you’ll learn more about steps and strategies to achieve your goals. And that’s okay! You can always adjust your project management system along the way to reflect any changes.
Myth #6: Meetings Should Frequently Happen (Or Never Happen)
This myth is really a two-for-one special. Some people (mistakenly) believe that once you have project management strategies in place, team meetings are totally unnecessary. And on the flip side, some people believe that meetings should happen all the time in order to be successful on your projects.
You should hold some meetings, but only when they’ll be super helpful or are totally necessary! Avoiding meetings altogether can lead to misunderstandings or a lack of connectedness and collaboration between team members. But holding meetings too frequently feels like a waste of time.
Be strategic in holding meetings in a way that aligns with your project management strategies.
Myth #7: Project Management Strategies Are All About Numbers
The last myth we’re going to talk about is that project management strategies are only focused on numbers.
Of course, one of the goals of project management is to improve efficiency and help you get more done on time. But your overall business strategy (and your overarching goals) also matters!
As you start to evaluate the project management strategies you implement, consider qualitative data instead of only focusing on quantitative data. You’re going to need to adapt and make changes—and remember, this is YOUR business, so if something doesn’t feel right for you, it doesn’t matter what the numbers say.
Project management strategies can really change the way you run your business! Now that you know what ideas about project management are total myths, you can make better decisions and implement a system that works for you.
