10 Things PM’s Should Have on their “Don’t-Do” List

Posted by Rich Crowley in IT, Project Management

1. Don’t react – always take time to think through the various stimuli coming your way and respond in a planful way
2. Don’t manage by the seat of your pants – plan!
3. Don’t sit – wander the floor, every day
4. Don’t ignore your sponsor – sounds obvious but it happens
5. Don’t stay home – visit remote sites, if not often then at least at the beginning of a project to get to know people
6. Don’t defer to strong-minded team members – if you think they are out-of-line, you must reign them in
7. Don’t defer to strong minded sponsors – if you think they are out-of-line, you must negotiate with them
8. Don’t fearmonger – if you think you’ve found bad things, confirm them before communicating
9. Don’t hide or delay the truth – once you know something as fact, don’t delay in communicating it to stakeholders
10. Don’t ignore all the good things that happen on your projects everyday that can be glossed over in the hustle to address everything else