https://www.wrike.com/blog - Let's face it, the Project Manager role isn't easy. PMs have to stay on top of a million tiny details, all while motivating a group of overworked people to deliver on a tough deadline. It's a juggling act that has spawned many horror stories. We thought it might be enlightening to tell 5 true stories — without mentioning names of course — in the hopes that you never, ever repeat what these Project Managers from Hell did to their teams. Read this and weep!

1. Photo by Walid Mahfoudh - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/38020543@N06
PROJECT MANAGERS FROM HELL!
5 TRUE TALES FROM TROUBLED TEAMS

2. Photo by net_efekt - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/60364452@N00
Project managers take on massive pressures:
staying on top of a million details, while
motivating a group of people to deliver
on a tough deadline.

3. Photo by illuminaut - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611336@N00
You do enough of that, and it could mess with your
brain. You might easily end up becoming a…

4. Photo by Walid Mahfoudh - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/38020543@N06
PROJECT MANAGER
FROM HELL !!!

5. Photo by Ondablv - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/13549634@N06
The
following
stories
are
based
on
horrific
real
life
experiences.
Names
have
been
removed
to
protect
the
innocent
and
the
damaged.

6. Photo by x-ray delta one - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/40143737@N02
Story #1: The Status Addict“Is It DONE, YET?”

7. Photo by x-ray delta one - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/40143737@N02
There
was
a
project
manager
on
the
East
Coast
who
insisted
on
2
daily
status
meetings
with
the
team:
• One
in
the
AM
to
dictate
to-­‐
do
items
to
everyone.
• One
in
the
PM
to
berate
people
for
unfinished
tasks.

8. Created with Haiku DeckPhoto by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00!
Don’t
Be
Like
Them:
Stop
Micromanaging!
1. Allow
people
to
pick
their
own
to-­‐dos.
2. Hold
them
accountable
for
these
tasks.
3. Don’t
berate
them
for
missed
deadlines…
4. Instead,
help
them
overcome
roadblocks.

9. Photo by onkel_wart (thomas lieser) - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/26405526@N00
Story #2: PAPERCLIP INSPECTOR“IT LOOKS MESSY. REDO IT.”

10. Photo by onkel_wart (thomas lieser) - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/26405526@N00
A
PM
was
tasked
to
prepare
massive
info
packets
for
the
press.
After
several
sleepless
nights,
the
small
team
was
done
preparing
printouts
&
assembling
packets.
At
which
point
the
PM
tells
them
to
redo
every
last
one
because
the
paperclip
indentions
made
the
papers
look
messy.

11. Created with Haiku DeckPhoto by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00!
Don’t
Be
Like
Them:
Overlook
Inessential
Details!
1. Abide
by
the
project
brief.
How
does
it
outline
the
completed
project?
2. Deliver
a
product
that
meets
your
commitments
and
which
the
customer
wants.
3. Don’t
sweat
the
small
stuff.
Even
if
this
means
paperclip
indentions.

12. Photo by Earl - What I Saw 2.0 - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/61787893@N00
Story #3: The CODE COUNTER“How many lines did you code?”

13. Photo by Earl - What I Saw 2.0 - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/61787893@N00
And
then
there
was
the
PM
who
didn't
have
a
background
in
software,
but
managed
software
developers.
He
judged
the
productivity
of
his
engineers
by
counting
the
lines
of
code
they
produced.
(Wrong!)
Though
he
didn't
stay
long,
his
exploits
became
—
wait
for
it
—legendary.

14. Created with Haiku DeckPhoto by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00!
Don’t
Be
Like
Them:
Know
Your
Industry!
1. You
can’t
manage
what
you
don’t
understand.
2. LEARN:
Take
classes.
Ask
questions.
3. Don’t
pretend
you
know.
Your
team
will
smell
it
a
mile
away.

15. Story #4: The BOTTLENECK“Only I will talk with stakeholders.”

16. At
a
project
for
a
tech
giant,
the
PM
was
the
only
one
communicating
with
the
client,
then
passing
info
to
the
team.
Directions
were
vague.
When
they
were
90%
done,
the
client
decided
the
current
work
was
not
what
they
wanted.
The
team
had
to
scramble
through
all-­‐
nighters
to
meet
the
client's
needs
and
deliver
on
time.

17. Created with Haiku DeckPhoto by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00!
Don’t
Be
Like
Them:
Encourage
Collaboration!
1. Allow
the
team
to
speak
with
stakeholders
directly.
2. Check
with
stakeholders
early
and
often.
3. Provide
a
minimum
viable
product
in
the
first
20%
of
the
timeline
so
no
one’s
time
is
wasted.

18. Photo by smileham - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/58472333@N00
Story #5: MIRACLE DEMANDER“I expect the impossible.”

19. Photo by smileham - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/58472333@N00
And
then
there
was
the
demanding
PM
in
charge
of
a
corporate
video
project
who
kept
telling
the
video
crew
to
"make
the
CEO
look
good."
They
tried
soft
focus,
special
lighting,
and
every
other
camera
trick
available.
They
spent
countless
days
trying
to
make
magic.
Unfortunately,
the
CEO
just
wasn't
that
telegenic.

20. Created with Haiku DeckPhoto by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00!
Don’t
Be
Like
Them:
Set
Realistic
Expectations!
1. Don’t
expect
the
Sistine
Chapel
ceiling
from
a
guy
with
crayons.
2. Know
your
project
(and
team’s)
limitations.
3. Work
toward
an
end
goal
with
realistic
parameters.

21. Photo by practicalowl - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/55046645@N00! Created with Haiku Deck!
Remember:
Being
a
Project
Manager
isn’t
about
being
the
“boss”
or
acting
like
a
monster.
It’s
about
leading
a
team
to
create
a
product
that
comes
in
on
time,
under
budget,
and
pleases
customers.

22. 22
Level
up
your
management
skills
so
you
don’t
become
a
project
manager
from
hell!
Learn
how
on
our
blog!
Award-­‐winning
Project
Management
&
Collaboration
Software
Wrike.com