Project management is a field that is flourishing at the moment, and it is not difficult to see why. After all, all businesses, irrespective of the services and products they provide, work on projects, and these projects need to be managed. This is why a successful project manager is worth his or her weight in gold.

Nevertheless, if you are thinking about getting involved in project management or hiring a project manager, you need to be careful not to believe a lot of the misconceptions that are floating about. Read on to discover more about this…

You Can’t Get Into Project Management via an Apprenticeship

This is a complete lie. In fact, project management apprenticeships are becoming more and more common. A project management apprenticeship is a good route to go down because you are going to learn on the job, which is invaluable for any project manager who is going to be dealing with different challenges on a daily basis. Theory is great, but real-life experience is critical too. With an apprenticeship, you will experience both.

Clients Always Know What They Want

This is one of the most dangerous misconceptions to believe regarding project management within any sort of business. In fact, you will often find that most clients don’t know what they want. Managing this is one of the most difficult things you will face as a project manager because a lot of clients change their demands and requirements halfway through and this is how scope creep occurs if you are not careful.

You Should Always Keep Your Project Team in-House

There are many different reasons why you may think it is better to do this. Firstly, there is the cost factor. Secondly, there is also the pride factor too – you don’t want to admit you need outside assistance. However, outsourcing can be critical in some projects. Alternatively, you may turn to a company to help you find an individual with the skills you are missing for a certain project. Yes, going down this route is an expense, but if it means you are going to meet the project objectives, it is worth it. You can use OKR training to get your priorities in check and determine your main objectives so that you can determine where your priorities should lie and what you should handle in-house or outsource.

No Project Should Ever Be Abandoned

If you hold onto a project for too long, it can take you and your career overboard. One of the most valuable skills any project manager can have is knowing when to admit defeat and accept that a project is not working. There is always a reluctance to pull the plug when a lot of work and resources have been poured in. However, although these scenarios may be rare, if the project does not make sense anymore, and you are only going to waste more money and time, it is better to cut your losses and pull the plug.

Third-Party Security Is Not Your Problem

This is a very risky misconception. If you outsource part of your project, you are still going to be responsible for the security side of things. And, third-party breaches are exceptionally common. Start with basic defences like ensuring all employees download a VPN for their computer, have a firewall installed, and change their passwords regularly. You then need to assess the security measures the third party uses to ensure they are adequate.

Project Management Is an Unnecessary Expense

This is something that more and more business owners are recognising is not the truth. You only have to look at the statistics about project management to see that this is the case. According to figures that have been published by the Project Management Institute, goal achievement is 20 per cent higher with a professional project manager in place, within-budget delivery is 24 per cent higher, and on-time delivery is 28 per cent higher. These figures alone show you the huge value of project management today, and why it is something that businesses can no longer afford to ignore.

As you can see, there are a number of misconceptions surrounding project management. However, if you can avoid falling into the trap of believing the above, you can ensure you do not get led down the garden path and believe one of the common myths about this field. We hope that you can use the advice above to keep everything on track for you.