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Project Failure & Mistakes

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4 Reasons Why Communication Fails (and What to Do About It)
Collaboration 7 min read

4 Reasons Why Communication Fails (and What to Do About It)

We have some effective communication tips to keep in mind next time you're providing feedback or thinking about scheduling that meeting. You'll learn how to improve communication skills in the workplace and out.

The Most Common Marketing Mistakes: How to Avoid Them
Marketing 10 min read

The Most Common Marketing Mistakes: How to Avoid Them

There is so much involved in starting a business, it’s understandable when things fall through the cracks. Unfortunately, marketing is one area that many new business owners neglect or treat as more of an afterthought. Developing a marketing strategy is just as important as developing a budget. It is a key element in growing a customer base and generating revenue. This is not a simple process; mistakes are often made.

10 Reasons Projects Fail: Lessons from the Death Star
Project Management 10 min read

10 Reasons Projects Fail: Lessons from the Death Star

Here I am. Sitting in a dingy cantina on some dusty backwater planet, the remnants of the Empire scattered to the far corners of the galaxy while some rebel scum occupies the capital on Coruscant. Where did it all go wrong? If you ask me, it comes down to the Death Star projects. I had friends

5 Virtual Documentation Mistakes You're Making
Collaboration 5 min read

5 Virtual Documentation Mistakes You're Making

Your bank is trying to get you to do it. And so is your insurance company. It sometimes feels like the whole world is trying to save trees (a good thing) and trying to get you more organized by making documentation virtual. But virtual documents are no more helpful than packets of real paper if

10 Marketing Mistakes to Avoid At All Costs
Marketing 3 min read

10 Marketing Mistakes to Avoid At All Costs

With the business landscape forever in flux and changing at a rapid pace, it's tough being a marketer. You have to constantly learn and master new technologies, communication platforms, and audience pains all at the same time. And it's dreadfully easy to make a mistake. In the Slideshare below, we list 10 marketing mistakes that can

6 Fatal Mistakes of Startup Founders
Leadership 3 min read

6 Fatal Mistakes of Startup Founders

Adeo Ressi is Founder and CEO of the Founder Institute, where he and his team mentor hundreds of first-time founders. In addition, over the last 20 years he has founded several successful companies of his own. So when we asked him about the typical mistakes that first-time founders make that could prove fatal to their

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Micromanagement & Leadership (Part 1 of 5)
Project Management 3 min read

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Micromanagement & Leadership (Part 1 of 5)

You've assigned an important task to an employee. Now, do you let him do his work, or do you keep dropping by his desk and sending emails to check on his progress?

Lessons Learned from Project Failure at Denver International Airport: Why Checking Bags is Still a Pain
Project Management 7 min read

Lessons Learned from Project Failure at Denver International Airport: Why Checking Bags is Still a Pain

We regularly review major projects to extract valuable lessons and pass on the knowledge so that everyone can benefit. One failed project we recently took an interest in is Denver International Airport's luggage handling system. I was compelled to study this project because checking bags at the airport is still one of my biggest fears. My eye

5 Bad Marketing Habits (and How to Avoid Them)
Marketing 10 min read

5 Bad Marketing Habits (and How to Avoid Them)

Are you guilty of unproductive routines? Here are five bad marketing habits to keep an eye out for—as well as ways to overcome them.

List of Suspects Narrowed in Death of Project (Video)
Project Management 3 min read

List of Suspects Narrowed in Death of Project (Video)

SAN FRANCISCO — Police in San Francisco say they have narrowed down their list of suspects in the ongoing investigation into the death of a travel brochure project. The project was originally owned by the advertising agency Sea Cliff, Presidio, and Associates, Inc. The case received national attention last year when the brochure mistakenly featured a

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Project Schedules (Part 3 of 5)
Project Management 3 min read

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Project Schedules (Part 3 of 5)

The third common mistake in managing multiple projects? Separated project schedules make it extremely hard for you to figure out task sequences and priorities across your projects.

4 Common Mistakes New Wrike Users Make, and Tips to Avoid Doing the Same
Wrike Tips 7 min read

4 Common Mistakes New Wrike Users Make, and Tips to Avoid Doing the Same

But I still see a few common, problematic tendencies that create confusion for new Wrike users over and over again. Use these tips to avoid the typical hiccups and get the most out of Wrike from day one.

The Cure for Project Failure (Infographic)
Project Management 3 min read

The Cure for Project Failure (Infographic)

Are your projects thriving? Or are they suffering from swelling budgets, sluggish progress, and strained deadlines? If your hard work is constantly in danger of flatlining, know this: you’re certainly not alone. There’s an epidemic of failed projects afflicting businesses of all sizes, with organizations hemorrhaging hundreds of millions of dollars in lost funds. In the

Someone's Getting Fired: Totally Avoidable Marketing Mistakes That Will Make You Cringe
Marketing 5 min read

Someone's Getting Fired: Totally Avoidable Marketing Mistakes That Will Make You Cringe

Marketers, you have a tough job to do. You have to be edgy enough to stand out in a crowded market and attract attention — but not so edgy you embarrass yourself, attracting the wrong kind of attention.  And if you screw up, there is no, “Quick, take it down before someone notices!” Not only has

5 Biggest Time Wasters Leading to Startup Failure (Infographic)
Productivity 3 min read

5 Biggest Time Wasters Leading to Startup Failure (Infographic)

Startup success isn't just about the perfect product. Now the emphasis is on speed: faster ideation, faster iterations, faster time to market. Startups are even told to "fail fast." But where do successful startups invest their precious time? And what are the costliest time management mistakes? Here are the top 5 time wasters to avoid. Failed

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Communication Breakdown (Part 5 of 5)
Project Management 3 min read

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Communication Breakdown (Part 5 of 5)

Poor communications within a team lead to misunderstandings and therefore to mistakes in project work.

3 Kinds of Data To Help Avoid Project Management Failure
Project Management 5 min read

3 Kinds of Data To Help Avoid Project Management Failure

Our friends over at TechnologyAdvice spend a lot of time gathering the best tech advice for you to improve your work performance. This guest post from one of their writers, Christopher Herbert, tells you the three things you need to take your projects down the road to success. A project’s success or failure is judged by

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Software & Technology (Part 4 of 5)
Project Management 3 min read

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Software & Technology (Part 4 of 5)

It may seem like the essence of your project manager role is simply collecting information and updating plans. But it shouldn't be that way.

Top Tips for Avoiding Project Overload
Project Management 7 min read

Top Tips for Avoiding Project Overload

Project overload can blow budgets, deadlines, and team collaboration. Hone your project management skills and start using tools that alleviate work overload pressure.

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Project Planning (Part 2 of 5)
Project Management 3 min read

5 Most Common Mistakes in Managing Multiple Projects: Project Planning (Part 2 of 5)

Once you fail to keep your project plans updated, you fail to monitor and influence the progress of any of your projects.

10 Fatal Product Launch Mistakes
Project Management 5 min read

10 Fatal Product Launch Mistakes

Product launches are stressful. While success can propel your company to new heights, a botched launch can cripple your business. On top of all that pressure, pulling off the perfect launch is a complicated process, with plenty of room for error. With less than 3% of new consumer goods considered "highly successful" (i.e., exceeding first-year

10 Fatal Product Launch Mistakes (+New DroneCo Comic)
Project Management 5 min read

10 Fatal Product Launch Mistakes (+New DroneCo Comic)

Product launches are stressful. While success can propel your company to new heights, a botched launch can cripple your business. On top of all that pressure, pulling off the perfect launch is a complicated process, with plenty of room for error. With less than 3% of new consumer goods considered "highly successful" (i.e., exceeding first-year

How to Spot Early Signs of Project Failure
Project Management 7 min read

How to Spot Early Signs of Project Failure

Project failure is common, but it can be avoided. Find out more about the project management risks and issues every PM should be aware of and how Wrike can help.

When Failure is the Key to Success: Lessons from Famous Flops (Infographic)
Project Management 3 min read

When Failure is the Key to Success: Lessons from Famous Flops (Infographic)

College dropouts, fired employees, bankrupt businesses. Even those people we perceive as the embodiment of success have experienced extreme lows—and used those experiences to fuel their future achievements.  This infographic highlights 6 famous figures whose failures turned out to be temporary setbacks on the way to grand accomplishments, as well as tips to turn your own