How to Avoid Communication Pitfalls: Lessons from a PM in Software Development

By Victr Pham, Project Manager at Groove Technology

When it comes to software development, we often think of technical skills as the driving force behind a project’s success. But did you know that poor communication is responsible for 56% of project failures? That’s right—according to the Project Management Institute (PMI), ineffective communication leads to delays, budget overruns, and unmet client expectations more than any other factor.

In fact, Gallup research found that companies with effective communication practices are 4.5 times more likely to retain the best talent, and TeamStage reports that 75% of project teams that communicate effectively can meet project goals on time and within budget.

With statistics like these, it’s clear that communication is more than just an everyday skill—it’s the backbone of any successful software project. From my experience as a PM, I’ve seen how a single miscommunication can cause a cascade of problems. So let me share some communication mistakes I’ve seen, their consequences, and how I’ve learned to solve them.

01. Mistake 1: Assuming the Client is Aligned on Priorities

One of the easiest traps for a PM is assuming that the client fully understands and agrees on the project priorities after a meeting. Even when it seems like everyone is on the same page, the client’s business needs can shift, causing them to reprioritize without informing the team. This gap can lead to missed deliverables and frustration on both sides.

Scenario:

In one project, after discussing initial priorities with the client, they seemed confident about the feature roadmap. However, halfway through development, they suddenly shifted focus to other features, expecting the team to pivot without realizing the impact on the overall project. Weeks of effort were wasted because the team hadn’t been informed of the change in priorities until it was too late.

Consequences:

• We spent weeks working on lower-priority features, causing major delays.
• The client became frustrated, and we had to manage a difficult re-prioritization process.

Solution: Continuous Dialogue and Documenting Agreements

Rather than assuming that priorities are set in stone, I ensure that open dialogue with the client goes beyond formal meetings. I regularly check in to reconfirm priorities, especially when I sense that business needs may have shifted. Asking questions like, “Has anything changed in your business priorities this week?” ensures that I can adjust expectations early.

I also document all client conversations in tools like Confluence, ensuring that there’s always a clear, written record of what’s been agreed upon and what’s expected to change. This transparency keeps us aligned, even as the client’s priorities shift. Additionally, I present trade-offs as soon as new requests come in, helping the client understand how shifting priorities may impact the timeline and budget. This way, we avoid last-minute surprises and stay aligned throughout the project.

02. Mistake 2: Not Communicating Delays or Uncertainty Early

Many PMs fall into the trap of withholding information about delays or uncertainties, thinking that they can fix the problem before informing the client. In reality, early transparency is crucial for maintaining trust. It’s better to involve the client in problem-solving than to surprise them with bad news later.

Scenario:

During an API integration, our team faced an unexpected technical challenge. Instead of reporting it immediately, we tried to solve it internally, assuming the client would not need to know unless it became a bigger issue. By the time we realized it would affect the timeline, the client had already been expecting delivery, leading to frustration on both sides.

Consequences:

• The client felt blindsided by the delay, damaging their trust in our communication.
• We were forced to renegotiate the project timeline under more stressful circumstances.

Solution: Transparency and Early Problem-Surfacing

Now, I encourage early communication about potential risks or delays, no matter how minor they seem. By sharing even partial updates with the client—whether it's about technical roadblocks or resourcing issues—we can work together to find solutions. This not only helps manage client expectations but also fosters a sense of partnership in solving problems. I position these discussions as opportunities for collaboration rather than waiting for the problem to escalate and cause frustration.

03. Mistake 3: Ignoring Key Communication Gaps in the Initial Meetings

One of the biggest pitfalls in software projects happens right at the start: not identifying and addressing communication gaps during the first meetings with the client. These gaps can include language barriers, differences in business nature, and technology knowledge gaps. If a PM doesn’t spot these early, misunderstandings will pile up, leading to misaligned expectations down the road.

Scenario:

In a cross-border project, the client had different expectations about how features would function due to their unique business model, but this wasn’t communicated clearly in the initial meetings. Additionally, some of the client's team members weren’t fluent in the project’s primary language, and certain key technical terms were misunderstood. These gaps weren’t addressed until much later, resulting in a major miscommunication when the development team delivered a feature that wasn’t aligned with the client’s needs.

Consequences:

• The delivered feature didn’t meet the client’s business goals, leading to rework.
• The misunderstanding caused delays and strained the relationship between the client and the development team.

Solution: Bridging Gaps Early with Clarification and Inclusivity

In the early stages of a project, I now place a strong focus on identifying and filling communication gaps. This includes addressing language barriers by ensuring translators or bilingual team members are present and involving business analysts who can help clarify differences in business processes. I also ask for real-world examples of how the client’s business operates to ensure I fully understand their specific needs. Technical capacity gaps are addressed by bringing in domain experts early to bridge the knowledge differences between the client and the development team. This way, there’s no ambiguity, and everyone shares the same understanding from the very first meeting.

04. Mistake 4: Misaligning Team Resources and Priorities

As a PM, part of the role is seeing the big picture and ensuring that the right people are working on the right tasks. However, it’s easy to misalign priorities across different functional teams—developers, designers, and QA testers—if they’re not continuously communicating. If everyone is working hard but in different directions, the project stalls.

Scenario:

During a migration project, the development and design teams were working separately without close communication. While the designers were creating new interfaces, the developers built backend functions that didn’t match the front-end designs. By the time we noticed the disconnect, we had to redo major parts of the system.

Consequences:

• The rework caused significant project delays.
• Team morale took a hit as developers and designers blamed each other for the disconnect.

Solution: Cross-Functional Alignment and Strategic Resource Allocation

Ensuring cross-functional alignment is now a critical part of my role. I facilitate weekly syncs between the Onshore and Offshore teams to ensure that everyone understands the project’s overall vision and how their tasks fit into the bigger picture. It’s also about strategic resource allocation—making sure that the right people are working on the most critical tasks at the right time. This keeps everyone aligned on priorities and prevents siloed work. I also make it a point to delegate tasks based on each team member’s strengths, ensuring that no one is overwhelmed or disconnected from the project’s goals.

05. Mistake 5: Not Providing Clients with Enough Information to Make Decisions

Clients are often left to make decisions based on limited information, which can lead to unrealistic expectations or decisions that derail the project. A PM’s role is to ensure that clients have full visibility into the project’s status, helping them make informed decisions based on the realities of the development process.

Scenario:

In a feature development project, the client requested a new feature towards the end of the development cycle. They assumed it could be implemented without delay, but because they didn’t have full visibility into our workload, they didn’t realize how much additional work it would involve. This led to frustration when we couldn’t meet their expectations.

Consequences:

• The client was disappointed and felt that we weren’t being transparent.
• The project timeline was pushed back, causing tension in our relationship.

Solution: Real-Time Reporting and Decision Transparency

Now, I make sure to give clients full visibility into the project through real-time reporting. This means they can see the impact of new feature requests on the timeline and budget before they make decisions. I also provide impact assessments for any new requests, detailing exactly how changes will affect existing priorities. By offering this level of transparency, I empower the client to make informed decisions that align with their business goals and project realities.

06. Final Thoughts: Effective Communication is More Than Just Talking

Effective communication isn’t just about holding meetings or sending emails—it’s about maintaining a constant flow of dialogue with both the client and the team. By recognizing and addressing these common communication pitfalls, I’ve learned how to keep projects on track, deadlines met, and clients satisfied.

In software development, every PM leads their team differently, but I firmly believe that effective communication is the cornerstone of keeping the entire workflow on track. It’s what ensures that projects run smoothly, challenges are addressed early, and both teams and clients stay aligned. I’d love to hear about your experiences with communication in your own projects—both the highs and the challenges.

Victr Pham is a Project Manager at Groove Technology, where he specializes in driving successful software development projects through clear communication, resource alignment, and cross-functional collaboration.