The term Anti-pattern has come into Project Management from the software engineering world, via the Agile community. But, what does it mean?
There are a lot of examples of anti-patterns in software engineering and also, specifically, in Agile development. Here, I describe some of the most important Project Management anti-patterns.
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Anti-Patterns
The term, Anti-pattern, was coined by the software engineer Andrew Koenig, in an 1995 article ‘Patterns and Antipatterns’.
Later, the 1998 book AntiPatterns by William Brown, Raphael Malveau, Skip McCormick, and Tom Mowbray popularized the idea and extended its scope beyond the field of software design to include software architecture and project management.
Anti-Patterns in Project Management
An anti-pattern in project management is a commonly occurring behavior, practice, or approach that, despite being used a lot and seeming effective, tends to produce poor outcomes.
So, rather than improving the process, anti-patterns actually hinder progress. They can arise from lack of understanding, fear, resistance, or pressure.
They are a habitual response to a recurring problem that seems like a solution but ultimately makes the situation worse.
Characteristics of Anti-Patterns
Key characteristics of an anti-pattern include:
- Frequent Occurrence: The same flawed approach is often repeated across different projects or teams.
- Surface-Level Appeal: It may appear as a quick fix or an easy way out, making it attractive to apply—at least initially.
- Adverse Consequences: Over time, the use of the anti-pattern leads to inefficiencies, conflicts, wasted resources, lowered morale, or failure to meet objectives.
- Better Alternatives Exist: True anti-patterns have more effective alternative solutions, even if they require more effort or a change in mindset.
Project Management Anti-Patterns
There are a lot of examples of anti-patterns in software engineering and, specifically, in Agile development. I want to focus on Project Management anti-patterns.
Over-planning
The opposite of management by crisis is ‘Death by Planning’ where project managers try to anticipate and schedule every last detail, leaving no space for contingency, issues, or innovation.
Ignoring Stakeholder Input and Feedback
Proceeding with the project plan without taking account of valuable ideas, complaints, or feedback from customers, end-users, sponsors, or frontline team members. This creates a risk of delivering outcomes that don’t meet real needs, thus increasing the likelihood of rework, dissatisfaction, or even project failure.
Unrealistic Deadlines with No Adjustment Mechanism
Setting deadlines based solely on wishful thinking or external pressure, without accounting for complexity, resource availability, or task dependencies. This results in consistent overruns, poor quality work, and demoralized teams feeling they are set up to fail.
Over-allocating resources
Continuously pushing team members to their limits without proper rest or realistic planning, leading to burnout and decreased quality.
One-Size-Fits-All Approaches
Applying the same methodology, tools, or processes to every project regardless of scope, complexity, or nature. Methods may be too cumbersome or too light for the given project, leading to inefficiency or insufficient oversight. It is a key part of our job to tailor our processes and toolsets to the needs of each project.
Scope Creep Without Control
Allowing constant expansion of the project’s scope without proper change management processes, resulting in missed deadlines and budget overruns.
Command-and-Control Leadership
Relying too heavily on rigid top-down commands rather than fostering collaboration and empowerment, which can stifle innovation and team morale.
Using Milestones as Micromanagement Tools
Setting an excessive number of arbitrary milestones as a form of controlling the team’s daily actions. This can create unnecessary pressure, diminishes team autonomy, and can shift the focus from meaningful progress to simply ‘checking off’ tasks.
Management by Crisis
Constantly reacting to emergencies and short-term fires rather than proactively planning and preventing issues. Leads to stress, burnout, poor quality deliverables, and a never-ending cycle of rushing and panic. Sometimes called ‘Fire Drill’ to represent the long periods of monotony punctuated by a short crisis.
“Data for Data’s Sake” Metrics
Tracking too many performance indicators or metrics that don’t tie directly to project success or decision-making needs. It increases administrative overhead and confusion—teams may focus on ‘chasing the numbers’ rather than delivering real value.
Over Analysing the Data
Often called ‘Analysis Paralysis’, this is a failure to make a decision, until one more assessment can be made.
Communication Overload or Underload
Bombarding stakeholders with excessive status reports or, conversely, providing too little information. When too frequent or irrelevant, updates become “noise” and get ignored. When too infrequent, team members and stakeholders are left in the dark, making it harder to detect and solve problems early. Related to this is ‘PowerPoint Engineering’, pr spending too much time making presentations and not enough time doing the work.
No Clear Responsibility or Accountability
Keeping roles and responsibilities ambiguous in the hope that flexibility equals efficiency. This leads to tasks slipping through the cracks, an overall lack of ownership and follow-through, and blame. A variant on this is the so-called ‘blowhard jamboree’, where a meeting is filled with experts who all have an opinion, all need to be heard, but none of whom want to pitch in and do anything useful.
Excessive Documentation for Its Own Sake
Generating large amounts of unnecessary paperwork, reports, and formalities. This consumes time and effort without providing real value, slows decision-making, and diverts focus from critical tasks.
Endless Meetings Without Action Items
Holding recurring status meetings or steering committees that don’t result in decisions or next steps. Wastes time, frustrates participants, and gives a false sense of progress when little is actually being accomplished.
What Kit does a Project Manager Need?
I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own.
Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs
Note that the links are affiliated.
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