Every spring I have the privilege of hosting a group of project managers from various companies throughout the United States and Canada at Violand’s Restoration Project Management program in Canton, Ohio. During the week, attendees work diligently through the principles of project management and many other fundamental disciplines of the trade. One of my favorite exercises involves the attendees sharing stories about projects that had less-than-desirable results and relating them to topics learned during the program that could have improved the outcomes.

As you can imagine, this exercise can be quite humorous. We’ve heard just about everything from the installation of incorrect materials to the distractions associated with rendering services in properties with illegitimate business operations and everything in between. Aside from the candor associated with losing a homeowner’s cat, attempting to clean alabaster statues in an ultrasonic tank, or gutting an entire floor in the WRONG building of a new assisted living center, there are many valuable lessons to be learned from these stories. Most of the lessons can be traced back to root causes having many things in common. These fundamental failures resonate with even the best project managers at some point in their careers, including yours truly.