When a project falls behind schedule, exceeds its budget, or delivers subpar results, the blame often falls on the project manager. ‘The project manager isn’t performing well’. Or maybe it falls on the project team. But what if the issue isn’t their fault?
At Waddell Group, we specialize in guiding medical device projects to success. Our world-class project management consultants know exactly what it takes to navigate the regulatory challenges and cross-functional complexities that define this industry. With decades of combined experience across a wide range of medical fields, we understand the unique challenges of the industry and have helped startups and Fortune 50 companies bring groundbreaking innovations to market.
That’s why we can confidently say that ‘In many cases, project teams struggle because of systemic issues: unclear expectations, poor communication, or a lack of the right skills and training.’
Effective project management depends on multiple factors—many outside your project manager’s or team’s control.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t take proactive steps to address these challenges head-on. By identifying and resolving these issues early, you can significantly improve your project outcomes. Our expertise lies in diagnosing and resolving these challenges, ensuring your projects succeed. Now, we have a training program to help project managers do the same.
Reasons why your project manager/team isn’t performing at their full potential (and how to fix it)
1. The project may not be set up for success
Leadership might assume a project will succeed simply because they’ve assigned a capable project manager—but success requires more than ‘just’ talent. Many project failures can be traced back to issues at the planning stage. If a project starts with unrealistic deadlines, unclear objectives, or inadequate resources, even the most capable project managers will struggle.
The solution to this is to start with realistic planning and ensure that expectations align with available resources. This means:
- Knowing your project gaps
- Defining how to fill them
- Knowing your team
- Being clear about the project objectives and resources
2. Scope creep is throwing everything off
If your team constantly takes on new requests mid-project, they’re not failing—you’re setting them up to fail. If your project keeps expanding beyond its original plan, your PM may be in constant firefighting mode. This leads to project delays, budget overruns, and frustrated stakeholders.
The solution: Define the project scope clearly from the start and implement a structured change request process. If new requests arise, they should be formally assessed for impact on budget and timeline.
Want to know how to do that, along with other skills needed to thrive as a project manager? Attend our one day project management training for Project managers and Engineers.
This isn’t just another project management course—it’s an elite-level training designed to equip you with the skills, tools, and mindset to take control of complex projects and drive them to success.
3. Communication breakdowns are hurting progress
Miscommunication can derail even the best-laid plans. When team members aren’t aligned, decisions take longer, work gets duplicated, and costly mistakes happen.
Signs of poor communication:
- Team members aren’t sure who owns what
- Stakeholders get conflicting updates
- Important project details fall through the cracks
- Updates are infrequent
- Expectations are unclear
Solution: PMs should establish clear communication channels, conduct regular status meetings, and ensure all stakeholders are aligned on project goals and timelines. Waddell Group’s training covers effective leadership communication strategies to keep projects on track.
4. They might not have the right training or support
Even experienced project managers need continuous development to navigate today’s challenges. Many struggle not because they lack talent but because they haven’t been equipped with the right frameworks and tools.
Investing in Project Management training can transform how projects are managed. That’s exactly why we decided to create a comprehensive training program that addresses these gaps.
This training is NOT like PMI as we cover the leadership aspects of being an exceptional Project Manager, NOT the project management basics/admin stuff.