What are the most common mistakes that PM teams make when implementing new strategies?

2 Poor planning

Another common mistake is not planning your strategy implementation properly. This means not considering the feasibility, scope, budget, timeline, risks, and dependencies of your actions. Without a realistic and detailed plan, you risk encountering unexpected obstacles, delays, and costs that can derail your strategy. To avoid this, you need to conduct a thorough analysis, break down your tasks, assign roles and responsibilities, and monitor your progress.

3 Insufficient resources

A third common mistake is not allocating enough resources to support your strategy implementation. This includes human, financial, technical, and operational resources. Without sufficient resources, you risk compromising the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of your strategy. To avoid this, you need to estimate your resource needs, secure your funding, recruit and train your staff, and leverage your technology and tools.

4 Lack of engagement

A fourth common mistake is not engaging your team members, stakeholders, and clients in your strategy implementation. This means not involving them in the decision-making, feedback, and evaluation processes. Without engagement, you risk losing their trust, commitment, and satisfaction. To avoid this, you need to create a culture of collaboration, transparency, and accountability, solicit and act on their input, and celebrate and reward their achievements.

5 Resistance to change

A fifth common mistake is not managing the resistance to change that your strategy implementation may encounter. This means not anticipating, addressing, and overcoming the barriers, challenges, and objections that may arise from your team members, stakeholders, or clients. Without change management, you risk facing resistance, rejection, and failure. To avoid this, you need to communicate the benefits and value of your strategy, provide support and guidance, and foster a positive and adaptive mindset.

6 Lack of evaluation

A sixth common mistake is not evaluating your strategy implementation outcomes and impacts. This means not measuring, analyzing, and reporting on the results, performance, and feedback of your actions. Without evaluation, you risk missing the opportunity to learn, improve, and grow from your strategy. To avoid this, you need to define your indicators and metrics, collect and interpret your data, and share and act on your findings.