All project managers worth their salt know they should manage to the scope-schedule-cost triangle, set up a baselined project plan, track to bite-size milestones, report status, and so on.  But to manage projects successfully in a consulting context requires additional seasoning.

Below we’ve listed some of the top Don’t’s based on Edgewater Technology's experience over the past 15 years while managing thousands of projects:

1. Don’t act like you know more than your customer about their project.
2. Don't estimate and plan the entire project by yourself – Ask the customer and team to participate.
3. Don't forget to manage the project, not just the project plan.
4. Don’t be a PM weenie – Apply project management best practices, but adapt to the real world.
5. Don’t keep bad news a secret from your management and customer, but do have mitigation plans, and alternatives ready.
6. Don't close your mind to good ideas from your team, and don’t micromanage them.  Delegate, delegate, delegate.
7. Don’t just manage, lead.
8. Don’t wait and hope "we’ll catch up later in the project."
   And don’t ignore risks -- they will not go away.
9. Don't gold plate your project, and don’t be a pushover when it comes to scope creep.
10. Don't hold feedback until the end of project -- tell people the good and the bad.  And don’t wait until the end of the project to ask for feedback on yourself.

At Edgewater, our project managers guide our clients through all phases of Program/Project Management.  To learn more about our Project Management Services capabilities, click here or contact us at 800-410-4014.