Being a project manager means you have to juggle multiple projects at one time. Your day starts with meeting with clients, team management, and ensuring you meet deadlines. Not only is this anxiety-inducing, but it can become near impossible to focus on any of the tasks properly let alone organize your time between projects.
Forecast’s in-depth survey shows how, on average, project management professionals have at least 18 projects running at the same. Moreover, businesses have to simultaneously work on 43 projects. Now, if you’re a massive company with an enviable budget, you can hire a fully equipped project management team. However, smaller set-ups have to organize project time and handle the workload all by themselves.
It can, undoubtedly, be a complicated task. Down below are some easy ways to organize your workload to manage tasks efficiently on an individual basis:
Prioritizing Your Tasks
No matter if you work at a supersonic speed to manage your multiple projects, objectives, and deadlines, you won’t get anywhere without prioritizing your tasks.
Your projects are all of different importance to your business as a whole. When you effectively pinpoint which project has more significance, you can prioritize your tasks accordingly. Furthermore, it allows you to focus on one project at a time.
Staying Focused And Wasting No Time
With so much going around, it can be hard to focus. You may open Instagram to relax for five-minutes mid-project and end up spending an hour scrolling.
It means that if you don’t focus on your present task, you’ll end up wasting a good portion of your time. Here what you need to do is first figure out what makes you focus. Next, work on making your environment pleasant and free from all kinds of distractions.
Another thing you can do is assigning a specific time to your projects. And when you start working on them, set a time limit. This way, you’ll have a fun yet challenging experience working on your many projects.
Delegating And Outsourcing
Being a good leader entails knowing when your job responsibilities are too much. For times like this, you can delegate or outsource your work.
You can accept help from colleagues, or you can give more straightforward projects to those in training. Regardless of the project’s type and length, you’ll still get to check off tasks from your To-do list.
Blocking Your Time
Multitasking often means unsuccessfully trying to complete multiple projects at a time. If you try to half-work, you’ll end up spending more time on both tasks.
Instead, you should schedule your routine. It means you dedicate a specific number of hours to a project and follow through. When you block your time for a particular task, your mind can focus better on it, thus increasing your productivity.
A good way to block off your time is using the Pomodoro Technique. By blocking off your time in 25-minute “pomodoros” you set your mind and your clock to focus on work, and then at the end of that timeslot, you reward yourself with a checkmark and small break.
Using ‘Busy’ Signs And Saying No
Refusing a colleague in need can be challenging but essential as the added workload will increase your stress level. Your priority should be completing your to-do list and meeting your expectations. And no one except for you knows if you can take up extra work.
So, it’s okay to say no to your friends or team. Moreover, working in a group with friends means you’re bound to get distracted while working. To block some time, you can use signs like a flag or write ‘busy’ on your Google calendar. Either option is an excellent way to make sure no one disturbs you while you work.
Communicating With Your Colleagues
Lack of communication can lead to poor performance on a project. If you don’t effectively communicate with your team the objectives, importance, and need of a task, you’ll end up wasting time and money.
Creating a friendly work environment where the team can discuss their project problems and arrive at a solution ensures your workflow schedule moves smoothly. Moreover, getting constructive feedback is paramount for your business as well.
Planning before Working
When you have multiple projects in different areas, every second count; you can’t walk into your office without a pre-planned schedule. It means you’ll be wasting at least half an hour prioritizing your tasks.
Planning week ahead allows you to effectively prioritize your work, know your upcoming deadlines, and communicate with your team about different tasks. Even if a couple of the tasks switch around, you’ll have a basic schedule at your disposal.
Reviewing Your Workload Daily
Just like planning your weekly schedule is essential, so is reviewing it every day. When you’re multitasking, there’s no way to know when something may come up.
You might get an urgent task, or a project may take more time than you anticipated. So, make sure you review your workload at the end of your day to adjust and update your schedule accordingly.
Tracking Your Tasks
When you have an array of tasks to complete, it’s easy to fall behind your schedule. In fact, extensive research shows that attempting to run multiple projects concurrently is the second most significant challenge for project managers.
And if you don’t notice how much time a project is taking up, your other tasks may suffer the consequences. Using specific tools like time management software or crafting a time-table helps ensure you’re sticking to a schedule, ticking-off when done, and not spending too long on one task.
Using Modern Software
Project management tools are the ideal way to increase productivity in your office. These tools allow you to conduct daily work, track your and your team’s progress, calendar and schedule tasks, and so on.
Typically, the software is equipped with all the tools necessary to visualize your tasks for a week. Besides this, you get an analysis report that allows you to review individual progress on multiple charges.
Staying Organized
Losing your sticky notes happens quite often—-, which means you’ll be missing important reminders, project deadlines, and essential work notes. It will hinder your progress and affect the company’s growth, especially if you hold an important position at the office.
Instead, you can use online tools, systems, and apps to stay organized. These tools remind you about daily deadlines, collect necessary documents and files, and help you schedule for the day ahead.
Managing Expectations
With multiple projects to handle, there are times when getting all your assignments done won’t be possible. In these instances, contact the affected person to let them know the task might take longer to finish.
Furthermore, by keeping everyone in the loop, you’ll make it easier for yourself and others to know what to expect.