Causes of Project Failure

When it comes to the making of a project, project managers think of it as a piece of cake. In fact, many of the projects are usually unsuccessful just because of lack of attention given to them !

It may sound a bit funny but the main reason behind the failure of any project is that nobody stops them from failing. People don’t think about the iron triangle which can help them in making a valuable project. The iron triangle is shown below:

Other causes of failure may include some or all of the following reasons:

1. Lack of clear senior management and leadership:

There is nothing more important to project success than the project leader. There are countless reasons for this point like the project leader must clearly articulate the project's goals, the project leader must facilitate the development of the project plan with clearly designated tasks, milestones and accountabilities and lastly, the project leader must proactively address roadblocks and ensure the team completes the tasks on time and within budget. 

2. Lack of Clear Expectations and Goals:

For completing a successful project it’s very necessary to understand clearly the expectations of the client because without this understanding even the best project leader cannot succeed without. Project leader must be focused on some valid point like What is the objective of the project? Why is the objective important to the organization? How does each project team member add value to achieving the goal? Is the goal clear? Is the timing understood? and so on.

3. Weak ongoing project management discipline:

Some project managers do a great job in the upfront planning process, but then don't manage the project effectively from that point on. This includes having problems managing scope change, resolving issues, communicating proactively and managing project risks.

4. Aggressive time schedules:

In completing a project successfully, time matters a lot. Project managers should make a schedule for working hours on a project in the beginning of the project; this will help them work easily without being stressed and aggressive.

5. New technologies are difficult to use or predict:

Sometimes, software houses hire new project managers which are not up to their standard of working in the beginning of their job. Then with time they understand that how to cope up with new technologies at work. They seem to be a bit difficult to understand and use in the beginning but later on they benefit the project managers and team members a lot because they are usually easier to use and predict than the older ones.

Bull Survey:

In 1998, the French computer manufacturer and systems integrator, BULL, requested an independent research company, Spikes Cavell to conduct a survey in the UK to identify the major causes of IT project failure in the finance sector. It was named as Bull Survey.

Scope of the Survey:

Total of 203 telephone interviews were conducted with IT and project managers from the finance, utilities, manufacturing, business services, telecoms and IT services sectors in UK. All the managers interviewed had previously taken the lead in integrating large systems within organizations in the Times Top 100

Project Evaluation Criteria:

1. Missed deadlines (75%)

2. exceeded budget (55%)

3. poor communications (40%)

4. inability to meet project requirements (37%).

The main success criteria identified were:

1. Meeting milestones (51%)

2. maintaining the required quality levels (32%)

3. meeting the budget (31%).

Key Findings:

The survey reveals that the major causes of project failure during the lifecycle of the project are a breakdown in communications (57%), a lack of planning (39%) and poor quality control (35%).

The Five Pillars of Islam - Sawm Detailed.

The most important Muslim practices are the five pillars or obligations of Islam which provide the framework of a Muslim's life.

The Five Pillars are:

1. Shahadah: Sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith.

2. Salat: Performing prayers five times each day.

3. Sawm: Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

4. Zakat: Paying charity to benefit the poor and the needy.

5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca.

As you all know that the holy month of Ramadan is being observed throughout the world these days.

So I want to share the useful information about fasting today at this 19^th Ramadan.

Sawm (in Arabic) is fasting. All the Muslims around the world are required to fast during the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar i.e. the hijri calendar.

During the period of 29/30 days of Ramadan all Muslims must give up on the following things during the hours of the daylight:

1. Food or drink of any sort.

2. Any sin whether it is done physically or verbally.

Plus in addition to that, TRUE Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam by refraining from:

1. Violence.

2. Anger.

3. Envy.

4. Greed.

5. Lust.

6. Profane language.

7. Gossip.

8. Obscene.

9. Irreligious sights.

10. Sounds.

And contradictory to the above mentioned disciplines, TRUE Muslims should try to:

1. Obey God.

2. Learn self-discipline.

3. Become spiritually stronger.

4. Appreciate all the gifts from Allah.

5. Share the sufferings of the poor.

6. Realize the value of charity.

7. Give thanks to Allah for the Holy Qur'an, which was basically revealed in the month of Ramadan for the first time.

8. Get along with fellow Muslims better.

Muslims who are physically or mentally unwell may be excused but they have to make up the fast at a later date, or make a donation to the poor instead.

Sehri:

Sehri, Sehur, Sahur, Suhoor or Sahari is an Islamic term referring to the huge and unique blessing bestowed upon the Ummah of the beloved Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). It’s not only an act of worship in the eyes of Allah  but it’s an opportunity to arise and nourish ourselves by consuming foods which provide energy to our body early in the morning usually before fajr or dawn when the sky is entirely dark before fasting in the daylight hours during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

Sehri is necessary for fasting because:

1. ‘Sehri’ is the time when prayers are accepted.

2. At the time of ‘Sehri’, one gets the opportunity to remember Allah and lifts up the hands to Him in prayers.

3. It provides strength for “Ibaadah”.

4. It promotes a greater sense of sincerity in our “Ibaadah”.

5. It aids in elimination of bad temper, which normally comes about as result of hunger.

Common things eaten in Sehri include:

Bread and butter

Bread and egg

Paratha

Glass of milk

Lassi (sweet or salty)

Aftaari:

Sehri being the morning meal is matched by aftaari as the evening meal during the holy month of Ramadan. This routine replaces the traditional three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

When the daylight is over and the Maghrib prayers are heard from the mosques, most Muslims break or open their fast with dates or water which are basically the example set by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), before having a proper meal (dinner) later.

The evening meals during the holy month of Ramadan are usually the occasions for family and/or friends’ get-togethers.

Common things eaten in Aftaari include:

Dates, pakora, samosa, fruits, dahi baray, chana chaat, rooh afza etc.

A usual aftaari platter resemble these:

  

YOU SHOULD:

Avoid eating:

1. Fried and fatty foods.

2. Foods containing too much sugar.

3. Too much tea at sehri.

4. Smoking cigarettes.

Try eating:

1. Complex carbohydrates at sehri.

2. Dates at aftaari as they are good source of sugar.

3. Bananas as they are good source of potassium.

Drink:

As much water or fresh fruit juices as possible after the aftaar till next sehri so that your body may adjust the fluid levels it need, in time.

Dua for the Sehri:

Dua for the Aftaari:

The 8 DON'Ts of a Job Interview

Hello My Lovely Readers,

Today I want to share some very useful tips which will definitely help you in your job hunt.

I happened to have an interview at a very flourishing company which is very good at developing the most in a very short time; the day before yesterday. And believe me after all the preparations I did, all was in vein the moment I sat in front of the interviewer.

When I came back home, I was feeling sad for my stupid behavior during the interview because I had already passed the test and now the interview was the last assessment for my job.

Then I started thinking deeply on the matter of interview and finally after almost a day, I have found some helpful DON'Ts which can easily and successfully slip you through the tough interview round.

I would like to share them with you for your future reference.

1. Arriving late for the interview.

There is no excuse for the interview tardiness. You should strictly plan in advance for the traffic jams and other logistical obstacles and should leave for the interview way ahead of your actual appointment time and reach the office at least 15-20 minutes early. Then use the bonus time to review your preparation materials.

2. Dressing unprofessionally.

You should dress according to the culture of country in which you are. Also keep in mind that body piercings and tattoos can be distracting to some interviewers, so you should limit them as much as possible.

Plus take good care of your personal hygiene. No one likes a ill-looking employee in their team.

3. Behaving disrespectfully.

Whether it be a person at the door or at the reception, the human resources professional or any other employee passing you in the hallway, you should always mind your manners through each interaction because everyone with whom you come in contact is definitely a potential influencer to the decision-maker.

It is to note that this point doesn't apply to the interview day only, but it does apply to any other day; you should always meet and greet people happily with a smile on your face.

4. The most common mistake you can make during an interview.

Not organizing yourself beforehand.

No matter how hard you try or how many hours you allocate for a good thorough internet search, you are still vulnerable to make big mistakes like I did after many hours of deep thorough study of the company profile.

Here is a picture of the notes I took during my interview preparation :)

What you have to prepare is how you will answer the questions i.e. organize information in a way that you can speak clearly and concisely plus learn to handle the situation when things go awry. Your interviewer will definitely be impressed that you went the extra mile.

5. Talking Too Much.

There is nothing much worse than talking on and on and on ... The interviewer really doesn't need to know your WHOLE life story. You should keep your answers succinct, to-the-point and focused and please don't ramble, just answer the question directly.

Plus instead of asserting your personal style, focus on what's important in the situation i.e. a dialogue that can convinces a hiring person that you will contribute selflessly to the company.

6. Not being a good listener to your interviewer.

Remember, everyone loves a person who is a good listener.

If you don’t really listen to the questions your interviewer is asking, you won’t be able to respond to them properly. You should make sure that you put on your ‘listening’ cap as well as your ‘speaking’ cap. If you don’t listen up to your interviewer, you are pretty much sunk !

7. Do you have any queries ?

Don't come up empty when this question is asked. And don't give a "deer in the headlights" look, shrug your shoulders and ask anything from your thoughts at that moment. Because if you don't ask any questions, it may appear as if you're not interested in this job which in actual is not true.

8. Forget to say thank you.

At the end say a big "thank you" in a warm manner which can demonstrate appreciation for the interviewer's time because it was their greatness that they actually called you for an interview and remember manners matter a lot, always.

Happy Job Hunting ! :)