Every so often, the question comes up in conversation or online — “What’s the biggest mistake that a PM can make?” And it’s actually a hard question to answer, because there are so many possible candidates:
- Thinking you’re the customer;
- Not validating your proposals or approaches;
- Relying only on anecdotal “data” when making decisions;
- Dictating priorities and goals rather than negotiating them…
But I think the single biggest mistake any PM can make is hiding the truth from the stakeholders and from upper management, which is a mistake that many make and many feel forced to make on a daily basis. Here are some common causes and ways to avoid this incredibly serious mistake…