5 Key Reasons Projects Fail

Why do some projects succeed and others fail? That’s really the million-dollar question, isn’t it? I know I think about it all the time. Thankfully, there are concrete answers. If you’re frustrated that one of your projects just can’t seem to get off the ground, it might be because of the following.

1. A timeline was never set. Every project you start must have an end date. Be realistic about how much time it’s going to take you to accomplish the project. If you budget too little time, you may end up feeling defeated. If you consistently over-budget, well -- you’ll get a lot less done than you’re capable of. If you’re not sure what steps need to be taken to achieve your goal (and are thus unable to create a realistic timeline), start by asking questions. Only when you have a firm grasp on what needs to be done can you start setting effective project deadlines.

2. No effort is made to get everyone on the same page. You can’t do this on your own. So assemble your team before you get started and let them know, as a group, what you’ll need from them. If people don’t know what is expected of them, they won’t be able to deliver. Go one step further, and make sure that your team understands the big picture. What is the goal of the project? How are you going to achieve it? Why is each person’s contribution important? When you sit down with your team for a meeting, always have sent out an agenda beforehand. Never end a meeting with your team without cementing what steps need to be taken next and who is responsible for them.

3. Weekly meetings aren’t held. Setting a timeline and clarifying who is responsible for what isn’t enough. You must keep people accountable by regularly checking in with them. I use a project tracker to keep abreast of what everyone is up to. It functions kind of like a scorecard, in that everyone is aware of what’s getting done and who’s doing it. It’s obvious when someone is falling behind -- which makes it easy for someone else to step in and volunteer to help out. At our weekly meetings, we review the project tracker and talk about what’s working and what isn’t. Keep your meetings short and don’t veer from your agenda.

4. Key players don’t make themselves available. If you want to make sure a project gets done, force everyone who is taking part in it to be accessible. Do your part by leading by example. Respond to emails and phone calls promptly. When you’ve got so much going on, it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. The easiest way to avoid that happening is to be prompt and accessible.

5. There’s no transparency. Whether the news is good or bad, your team will work harder when each member feels like they’re in the know. Do all that you can to encourage the people you work with to take ownership in the project.

Staying on top of your many projects isn’t easy, but it is possible. Before you decide to walk away from a project that seems destined to fail, make sure you’re avoiding these surefire pitfalls.

Originally published on Entrepreneur.com September 26th 2014.