NiQsTeR

Why do projects fail?

The second activity we did on our Project Management course was to determine what causes a certain project to fail. If I am to enumerate all the factors why projects fail, it would take us a day to determine all of it. Since we are now in our junior year in college, tons of projects and paper works are approaching. That is why it will be better if we could at least determine those factors and try to avoid all of those in order to accomplish any projects that may come.

To start off, I want to know when projects will be considered as failed. So a project is considered a failure when it has not delivered what was required, in line with expectations. So in order to succeed we must be able to reach and fulfill the project’s requirements, whether it would be in cost, quality and time. There are a lot of steps in a project’s procedure to follow. These steps will serve as the guidelines in order to achieve the success of the project.
As what I have defined on the previous article, projects can be in any form and on different projects, there will different factors that contribute to its failure.

These reasons are random and could occur on different kinds of projects:

• The wrong business requirements have been addressed

If your project is set up to deliver the "wrong thing," it may be considered a failure even if everything is delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality. This seems harsh. But if your project doesn't deliver what the organization really needs, this will inevitably negatively affect how it's perceived. This is why it's so important to conduct a thorough business requirements analysis.

Now, make sure to check everything before submitting or sending something like a project. This could be considered a huge issue, even though everything went smoothly but the project did not come out as expected, everything will be useless and it causes waste of money as well.

• The environment changes

If the business's needs change, then your business case can become outdated before you've actually completed the project.

Changes in the environment could be one of the factors, you can never tell what the company needs as time goes by and you need to review all over again about the needs of the company or organization.

• Lack of financial support

This is one of the most common factors that make a certain project at school fail. Not all students can afford the things that will be needed to support a certain project. Although there are alternatives, money is still considered as one important requirement.

This is one of the most common factors that affect the process of a particular project. When a certain budget is not enough to support a certain projects everything will be out of hand. The progress of the project will be temporarily stopped and it will greatly affect the given timeframe.

• Time management

This is also one common factor in failing in a certain project, like in my case, I am enrolled in several subjects and sometimes I find it hard to manage my time when all of the subjects teachers give tons of projects in one time, and end up failing in one project. Every student suffers on the same issue.

Since making a project is given a certain timeframe, we should be able to manage it. Finishing on time marks a big check on the objectives. I know that everyone has it, the issue of managing time. It is very difficult especially when you are into some extra curricular activities. I can tell that because I myself have issues like this before. But now I try to cut some extra activities and focus on some important ones.

• Poorly Managed

Lack of management from the head could be one of the factors as well. Even though you have the best workers in town, if you have poor management, everything will be a sort of trash, chaos and unorganized project.

The project is poorly managed. The issue of having poor managerial skills is an issue as well. When a certain manager cannot take responsibility of running the people under a particular project is a difficult problem to solve. Having a good manager is a must in order to achieve and obtain the objectives of a certain project.

• Undefined objectives and goals

This is when we do things in a rush. Projects may fail due to lack of planning and proper citing of goals and objectives. Projects fail when we do not meet the objectives given. So it is a must to plan everything before making a GO in a project.

When starting a particular business we should be aware of the objectives and goals of it. We should be aware on what things to do and why we are doing the things that we do. Sometimes having lack of awareness about the thing to be achieved can lead us to nowhere. Having clear list of goals and objects gives us directions on which path we should take for a smooth journey.

• Poor communication

Sometimes the issue is because of the miscommunication of the team members of the project. Sometimes the ideas of the members clashes with others and causes chaos within the group and end up ruining everything that has been planned for the project.

Misunderstanding and miscommunication between people is a bad thing; this causes bad arguments and disorganized team. With a chaotic team, do you think we will still be able to make a great project, or are we still be able to make a project? That should be the question to be asked in order to avoid stupidity and pathetic acts within team under a particular project.

• Too much pressure

Now, who loves pressure? No one, right? And being too much pressured can keep us thinking the right things to do. We panic, forget everything and end up in a disorganized situation. We are scared of pressure, I agree to that. I even curse it because it keeps me out of focused and makes me crazy.

Instead of being afraid of it, why not make it as a motivation? Use the pressure given to you as a tool in order for you to think great ideas in a short period of time. Adrenaline rush, I may say. I could hear some of my peers that they can think straight when they can feel the adrenaline rush over their body. Great ideas come, especially things that they did not expect that will be thinking.

• We depend on others

We wait for other to make a move. We grow too dependent on others and forget to have our own initiative. We tend follow on the shadows of other people. We let them control them influence us and tend to change our focus and points of view which sometimes causes the unexpected changes in the project.

This is a bad thing, I may say. Just like in school. We tend to forget about making our assignments and just wait for others and copy from them. When there are group activities we tend to rely on their ideas and forget that we also have mouths to speak and that we could add some ideas for the group. It happened to me before. I do not make my own assignments and I just copy from others, but I already learned my lesson and I try to make my own assignments and make my own moves through my own initiative.

• Bad decisions

Sometimes everything under the projects will go to trash with just a simple one bad decision. Even a simple wrong turn can cause chaos and tangled scenarios.

Let us face it, sometimes we make bad decisions over things and end up regretting. Let us keep in mind that making decisions is a huge responsibility to make, and we are the ones who will take the consequences on making it. We should be responsible enough and try to think thing thoroughly before coming into a decision.

• Stakeholder conflict

A certain company can sometimes end up in chaos due to arguments within the stockholders themselves. Because of the want to be on top sometimes, they forgot to think that there projects that will be affected because of their works.
I cannot relate to this but I am sure that this is one of the issues why some huge projects fail.

• Poorly defined roles and responsibilities

People on their places does not know what are their responsibilities and their roles as what they have as a title. Sometimes they tend to forget why they are given the title as manager or any higher ranks which sometimes causes disorganization and chaos.

When we are given a certain position, we should be responsible for it. Let us not forget that there people behind us that seeks for our guidance and directions. So we should be matured enough to be committed and responsible.

• Quality Control issues

Delivering bad products to the customer is a quick way to fail. Quantity and speed is nothing without the best quality a person could offer. Quality is indeed the best way to gain more clients and be successful in any projects you will be handling.

• Selecting the Wrong Project Manager

This is just the same with being poorly managed. Having great follower is such a waste if the person they are following is not really worth it. It difficult to have such great manager with great leadership skills that is why we tend to look for someone who only looks like a good manager but never really does the best way to improve or to help the people and the company he is serving.

• Setting priorities

This is one common problem within a certain projects specially when there are more things that are bothering the project manager. Still everything depends on the manager.

• Hidden Agendas Can Compromise Progress

This is a particularly difficult problem to identify and overcome. We all have unexpressed thoughts and concerns. We all have egos to protect. A good project manager with a high level of emotional intelligence will use their intuition to identify any unsaid needs and draw out any hidden agendas without alienating or threatening anyone.

• Unexpected changes in the project

This is one thing that is unavoidable when under a certain project. It is going to be wasteful, in terms of money, materials and time. Even though we follow certain procedure or plan, changes are still possible to occur and ruin everything, especially when the monitoring team is weak and not rally doing their jobs.

• Change of Scope

As what I have stated above, we cannot avoid changes. It is the only permanent in this world. And we cannot avoid the fact that the scope or the boundaries of our projects tend to change.

• Less effort have been given to the project

Everything that you make is a masterpiece. Now, if you will not put your all on it, it going to be a waste. Giving your all and putting lots of effort on a particular project could lead to the aspired success and achievement.

• Unrealistic timeframe

Let us face it, we are no superhumans. We do not have super powers to create something in an instant. We should make a timeframe that we know we will be able to make something and not make something just to impress. Let us be realistic you know.

These are just some of my research about the factors and reasons why some projects fail. There are a lot to know about it. The next thing I am going to open up is about my point of view about why some of my projects fail and how did I cope up with it.

The most common reason why some of my projects fail in my past experiences is time, financial support and laziness.

TIME

Time management is one issue. I mean most of us during the activity gave time as their reason for failure. We are given enough time but why do we fail to do our tasks. What could be the main reason why we tend to waste our time than making the things that we should do? Well, for me, I do not know. I just love to do things that is enjoyable than making tons of essays and end up mixing and scramble every word that I type. So I see, this is all about time management and setting up priorities. What do I do in a day? I love watching movies, playing the guitar and watching music videos over the internet. Make sense? But it is not just about what I prefer doing but it also happens that tons of projects with the same deadlines are occurring. It is difficult, right? I cannot hit two birds in one stone. And one more thing, I am still young I am still into games and I love playing. It is still about which weighs heavier. And it is hard for me because I am the kind of person who loves doing everything, even non sense things.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

This is the biggest issue among all. Money is really an important thing; money for the materials to be used on my project, fare, and food. There a lot of alternatives instead buying new stuff for the project but I cannot avoid spending to make it better and saleable. And sometimes there could be projects that really need funding and sometimes I am having difficulties in doing one. Like way back in my elementary days where we were financially down. There was one project that really I have to buy for the materials. I was crying because my classmates have already submitted their projects and I still was not able to start up. Good thing my teacher gave me another project in order to cope up with my grade. You know, we can say that money is not everything, but for me, it is really important and it matters a lot. Just like right now in college, I almost fail in our Field Trip and Seminar subject because I failed to pay for the travelling stuff.

LAZINESS

Who would not agree on this matter? Laziness is one great factor to consider. I am lazy, I confess. Youth nowadays are so into sleeping and sitting and eating all day long; prefers to play online games than into physical sports like basketball, volleyball and baseball. So why did I consider it as one factor that contributes to the failure? Simple, because I can see it in myself that I prefer sleeping than making my projects. I prefer pleasure than finishing everything before its deadline. I know lots of the youth today are like this.
When we had our discussion about this, Sir Gamboa emphasized that the main reason why projects fail is because of US, the people behind the project. It is not because of time, money or even laziness. It is us who controls, thinks and manages the project. So its success or failure depends on us. The factors stated above are occurring because of us. It is me who chose to be lazy when I could use my time wisely and be productive; it is me who chose to spend more money than be thrifty enough and use my creativity in order to produce great hand-made projects. It is us who chose to have high pride rather than be humble and try to keep an open mind for others to share their ideas. It is us who chose to misunderstand everything and it is us who chose to allow miscommunications get in the way. It is us who chose our project manager and make him lead even though we know that he or she is not that deserving and he or she does not possess such great leadership skills. It is us who fails to set our priorities right and it is us who failed to manage our time. It is us who chose and allow to produce projects with the lowest quality and it us who chose to be affected with unexpected changes and we let it control us rather than we control them. And it is us who chose and allow our projects to fail. You see, projects will not be called as projects without us people who manage it.

FAIL TO PLAN or PLAN TO FAIL

What is the difference between the two? A lot. Why do projects fail? Is it because we fail to plan or we plan to fail?
Fai l to plan. When I first heard it, I kind of agreed on the thought that projects fail because I failed to plan; since I know from the very beginning that planning is the most important thing to make in order to organize the process of making your projects. I was thinking maybe failing on making plans is the reason why we fail. Maybe the lack of awareness on planning causes the failure of a certain project. I myself do not know how to make plans properly and orderly. I rush things. I am not a good planner. But when the second thought came, it awakens my mind.
Plan to fail. Huh? Right then I realized that it is really us who made the failure and not those lame excuses. Again, it is us who made those stupid factors for us to fail. We use those excuses in order to cover our mistakes and wrong doings. Everyone knows how to plan, and planning to fail is one of it. We are the ones who chose and allow ourselves to fail in some situations that we are still able to make solutions out of it. We tend let failure beat us rather than fighting and aim for success. It is us. We are the master mind.