Is perfection sabotaging your project success?

Attention to detail and high standards are often considered essential parts of the job of a project manager. However, there's a fine line between delivering excellence and falling into the perfect

ionism trap. Here’s the thing—perfectionism doesn’t exist. It reduces productivity, causes unnecessary stress, and can even lead to delays in your projects, which is something you don’t want to be known for.

So what can you do? Let’s me explain how you can identify your perfectionist tendencies, their impacts and some tips on how to overcome them.

Are you a perfectionist?

Recognising perfectionism in yourself is the first step towards addressing it. Here are some signs that you might be a perfectionist:

1. You have difficulty delegating tasks to your team members, believing only you can do them "right."

2. You spend alot of time on minor details at the expense of more important tasks.

3. You're overly critical of your work and your team member’s work.

4. You struggle to celebrate successes, always focusing on what could have been better.

5. You often feel anxious or stressed about meeting the high standards you set.

6. You often delay starting tasks because you're worried you won't be able to do them as perfectly as you think you should.

The dark side of perfectionism for project managers

Striving for perfectionism can be admirable, but you will never win the gold medal. It has several negative consequences. 

1. Reduced Productivity: Obsessing over minor details can slow down progress and lead to missed deadlines in your projects, or long nights of work.

2. Increased Stress: Constantly striving for an unattainable "perfect" outcome can cause burnout and anxiety.

3. Team Demotivation: Overly critical perfectionists can demoralise team members and stifle creativity.

4. Procrastination: Fear of not being able to meet high standards can lead to avoiding tasks altogether, leading to last-minute rushes and increased stress. Ironically, this procrastination often results in work that's far from perfect due to time constraints.

5. Missed Opportunities: Perfectionism can prevent you from taking risks or trying new approaches.

Overcoming perfectionism: practical tips for project managers

So the question is, how can project managers overcome perfectionism? Be patient and practice self-compassion. Don’t expect an overnight transformation. Here are three tips:

1. Practice the 80/20 rule. 80% is often “good enough”. 

2. Do a weekly reflection on what you have done to move towards the 80% line instead of the 100% line. Celebrate your progress and effort, and determine what you can do better in the future. This can help you build small habits and actions towards overcoming perfectionism.

3. Use techniques like the Pomodoro method to break work into focused intervals. When the time is up, move on to the next task, even if you feel the current one isn't "perfect."

Perfectionism, while often seen as a positive trait, can be a significant obstacle in project management. By recognising your perfectionist tendencies and implementing strategies to overcome them, you can become a more effective leader, foster a more positive team environment, and achieve better project outcomes.

By letting go of unrealistic standards and focusing on small steps away from perfectionism, you'll not only reduce stress and increase productivity, but you will also create a project environment where trying new ways of working, and ideas are welcomed.

As you work on overcoming perfectionism, remember to be patient with yourself. Change takes time, and it's okay to make mistakes along the way. The journey towards a healthier approach to your work is a project in itself – one where progress, not perfection, should be your goal.

If you are continuing to struggle with perfectionism, find out more on how I can help on my website, or why not book a chat with me?