Imagine this scenario with me. You have planned your medical device project down to the tee. You have sufficient budget and resources to take it to completion. You have risk mitigation in place, and you think your project is going along swimmingly. And then suddenly…boom! Despite everything you have done to avoid project failure, your medical device doesn’t reach the market. Or if it does, there are significant time and budget issues. You wonder what you could have done differently. 

Don’t let that happen to you. 

Here are the top 5 (yes, there are more) warning signs to watch out for if you want to avoid project failure

To mitigate the risks associated with project failure, it is important to recognize and address these early warning signs. So make sure your project manager reads this!

Sign #1: The Whole Team Seems Disconnected

You know when they say teamwork makes the dream work? They’re not wrong. Your team members need to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves and their jobs. They need an environment that allows them to do their best work. That means an environment that encourages connection and collaboration. A bigger ‘Why’. A purpose. 

That purpose can be brought about by having a well-defined company and project mission. But sometimes, that ‘why’ is missing. Leading to a disconnect. And when the team is disconnected, project failure is not far behind. 

Other potential disconnect signs to watch out for are:

• Low team morale. Changes in employee attitude, lack of camaraderie, lack of initiative, poor performance, and an atmosphere of doom and gloom (or at least undue seriousness) are a few indicators of a low team morale.
• Wrong fit project management style. The leadership style of the project manager doesn’t fit with the team or the project objectives. Find out if your leadership style matches your project. 
• There’s no (or very limited) communication outside of formal meetings and difficulties in reaching out to colleagues.
• People are doing the bare minimum with a project. Perhaps they have too many projects on their plate. 

Addressing these warning signs can be as easy as – what we like to call – Management By Walking Around. Simply put, the project manager should keep their eyes and ears open to:

• The interaction between team members. Do team members have chemistry? How do they talk to each other? If it’s a remote team, how are they in Zoom meetings? Do they shoot the breeze or get straight to the point? Are they stiff, stilted, formal? What do the verbal and non-verbal cues say?
• Response time. Do some people take a long time to get back to questions, or to certain team members? Why? Does it take a lot of effort to communicate with them? 
• How different team members like to be communicated with. What tools do they like to use for communication? Do they like emails? Slack? Verbal communication? Or do they prefer team meetings? Do they like random check-ins or a more hands-off approach? 

One of the things to keep in mind for project managers is that it’s almost never personal. Everyone has issues. It’s our job to keep moving people in the right direction and keep communicating.

Focusing on fostering effective communication, creating opportunities for team members to engage with each other, and understanding individual preferences for communication methods can help facilitate better interactions. 

Sign #2: Team Members Are Working on the “Wrong” Tasks

Sometimes a task that a team member is working on doesn’t align with the project’s objectives. There can be many reasons behind it. Like:

• Inadequate project definition. You have a great project plan in place, but the goals and objectives are not defined or communicated in a manner understandable to everyone.
• The project plan is too high-level. Perhaps the project lacks specific information on the path to take for optimum results. What are the critical tasks? Who is responsible for them? Is there a timeline? Without a clear roadmap, team members may prioritize tasks based on their own assumptions or preferences, which may not align with the project’s objectives.
• Insufficient day-to-day oversight. Without regular check-ins and progress reviews, team members may veer off track or lose sight of the project’s priorities.
• Changing Priorities or Scope Creep: If the project experiences frequent changes in priorities or scope, team members may find themselves working on tasks that were not initially planned or are no longer relevant.  
• Lack of Clarity in Roles and Responsibilities: Is there a chance of a team member taking on tasks that fall outside their designated areas? If yes, it’s time to revisit your project plan.   
• Poor Communication and Collaboration: If team members are not actively engaging in discussions, sharing information, or collaborating effectively, they may end up working on tasks that are not in line with the project’s objectives.

It’s up to the project manager to identify what’s causing this misalignment and course correct. 

How to mitigate this to avoid project failure

To overcome this warning sign, project managers should reassess the project plan and ensure that it provides sufficient detail for each task. Frequent check-ins with team members can help monitor progress and ensure alignment with project goals. And if you have a remote team, it’s doubly important to communicate regular updates to keep everyone on track.

Sign #3: Many Team Members Don’t Show Up for Meetings

Occasional absenteeism because of personal reasons is fine. But when this happens repeatedly it’s a sure-shot sign that your project is going sideways. When team members consistently fail to attend project meetings, it can indicate underlying issues like:

• Internal team conflict. It can be with a project manager or with other team member/s.
• Conflicts with other projects. It’s possible that a team member is working on multiple projects at a time things are slipping through the cracks.
• A mismatch between the project manager and team members.
• Presence of a toxic team member that people want to avoid.
• The team member doesn’t want to be a part of your project anymore or they don’t want to be associated with your project because they think it’s going to fail. 

Asking the right questions to the right people can help resolve this issue before it snowballs and starts affecting the entire team. 

• Figure out your project’s priority within the overall company project portfolio. Ensure your team knows it too. 
• Investigate potential conflicts and toxic behaviors. Address them without finger-pointing.
• Foster a positive and inclusive team culture that ensures active participation and commitment from everyone.

Sign #4: Project Slips Week after Week

Your team members seem enthusiastic but the tasks are not being completed per schedule and the project is slipping week after week. There are repeated project delays because of significant issues with specific tasks.

• Perhaps the technology is not on point.
• Maybe the resources or budget needed for a task were over or underestimated.
• Maybe you’re eating up all the slack.
• A task on a critical path is going sideways.

You can address these warning signs and avoid project failure by:

• Conducting a thorough review of critical tasks, identifying any significant issues, and taking immediate action. Escalate the issue if needed.
• Reviewing the project plan and assessing whether additional resources are required.
• Effective communication, asking the right questions, and closely monitoring progress to identify and address the root causes of slipping timelines.

Ask yourself if you planned enough slack time between tasks, and look at previous communications and reports to see if there was a hint of an issue.

For example, two days ago one of my project managers found out something was not going to be done on time. But the person they were talking about had a history of not doing what they say when they say. The delay could have been avoided if the project manager took that personality trait into consideration and did regular check-ins.

If someone has shown you how they operate, you need to check in multiple times, talk to them to ensure everything is on track, and offer support if needed. - Tom Waddell

Project Failure Sign #5: Foreseeable Issues Keep Presenting Again and Again

If the same issues keep happening again and again:

• The same bottlenecks
• The same quality issues
• The constant delays in a certain raw material delivery

it’s time to whip out your risk register. You need to evaluate: 

• If you have overlooked or underestimated potential issues. 
• If you have adequately planned for risks. 
• If the risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans have clear guidelines on how to handle identified risks. Without them, the team may struggle to effectively address and minimize the impact of the risk.
• If there is a lack of accountability. Without assigning clear ownership of identified risks to responsible team members, there is a higher likelihood of risks falling through the cracks and not being addressed appropriately.
• If everyone involved in the project is aware of the risks and their responsibilities in managing them.

The entire team should be involved in updating and addressing potential risks. Each risk should be clearly defined, outlining its impact, mitigation

Story Time

Have a project that’s at risk of being derailed? 

Pay attention to all the warning signs. Keep your eyes and ears open, and be ready to take proactive action. Foster a culture of open communication, accountability, and proactive problem-solving. And if you need any help with getting a project back on track get in touch!

Our expert medical device project management consultants know how to lead teams, manage in times of crisis, and influence change. We offer expertise, intellectual property, and proven methodology to take your medical device project to market on time and within budget.

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