Risks are generally thought of as those things that can go wrong. What about all those common things that are simply defined as project problems? Besides the risk of falling behind schedule, going off budget, or simply producing poor-quality results, here are some common project problems:

• Too many chefs spoil the project. One person wants it done by Wednesday, one says make it Tuesday; another wants you to use Microsoft Project, while another hates that program. It's important to establish from the start who is in a position of authority and who is not — and figure out where you come in. If you have to answer to nine people, you'll have a project going in nine directions and none of them will be toward the goal.

• Dust it off and try again. Little do you know, but the project you have embarked on has already failed three times, for numerous reasons. Make sure you scout around and do a feasibility study — find out if this project can indeed be done, or if you are in a situation with too little funding, poor resources, and no clear-cut plan of action. If that's the case, run like hell. Old disasters under new names with new leaders do not work unless a key component has been changed.

• Bad timing. How many people saw ads for new start-up Internet companies at the time when so many were falling by the wayside? How many people wanted to jump onboard those projects? Many projects fail because there is no market for them at a given time. Check economic factors, industry factors, competition, and other signs that may determine whether or not your project is a good idea at this time.

• Oops, there goes another one! Too many people dropping off the team means the incentives are not keeping them on board, they do not have a vested interest in the team, or they have no enthusiasm for the project. Losing a member or two along the way is not uncommon and shouldn't be a major problem, unless it's that one expert you really need. However, if you are losing people left and right, it's time to up the payoff, boost morale, or find out why so many are jumping ship.

• We'll start tomorrow. Some projects are constantly delayed. Something is always slowing them down, whether it's funding, permits, inspections, lack of resources, or simply low priority due to other, more demanding projects. This is not generally a good sign. Try to get a firm start date. The longer you delay, the less likely the project will succeed.

• Nobody speaks to one another. Sure, there are plenty of documents, reports, and even e-mails, but poor or no communication between people is generally not a good sign. As far as things have progressed technologically, when projects that rely on people have no communication, they generally lose both enthusiasm and the element of creative thinking and planning that comes from such interaction among team members.

• What a chummy group! The opposite of no communication is a chummy, enthusiastic team that spends way too much time chatting, lunching, and socializing, but little time working. While camaraderie is great, you'll need to channel such enthusiasm into some productivity. Be tactful and make the work enjoyable, but coax people to get the job done.

• What are we doing here again? If there have been so many changes to the project in terms of resources, planning, and primary objectives that you're no longer sure what the goal of the project is, you're in big trouble. After all, how will you know when you've reached the goal if you don't know what it is? Make sure all of the changes fit in with your primary plan and your initial project goal. Don't let changes occur faster than you can comfortably process them into the plan, or things can go spiraling out of control.

• Naked Thursdays! If the boss has odd requests, make sure to (tactfully) put them into perspective. You cannot do every offbeat scheme that upper management wants to try. Be very selective and always explain that your decision is based on what's in the best interests of the project.

You're likely nodding your head at this list of common problems. You have probably experienced the same things. It is impossible to plan for all of the potential risks on a project or prevent projects from going off track. However, with a list of common project problems, at least you know where to start the planning process.