Today’s requirements put a strain on project managers, constantly pushing them to manage more projects simultaneously. In this article, we will be exploring ways to ease the task, reduce the possibility of errors and stay on top of everything. Namely, how the right digital tools can elevate your performance.
Multi-tasking is an important skill to have when it comes to project management. Just within one project you get to task-jump and wear many hats on a day-to-day basis. As the number of projects grows, the need to repeatedly switch focus will increase in frequency too. No matter how organised and professionally seasoned you are, you are only human. And this is the quickest route to burnout.
Thankfully, today’s technology offers a great aid for project managers to manage more projects at once without sacrificing neither their health nor the quality of the end product. Before we take a deep dive into creating an impeccable process, there are several generalised tips you may want to employ right away. Let’s start with them.
Tips to Manage and Track Multiple Projects
Here are some tips that will make it easier to work on more projects simultaneously:
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Prioritise your tasks based on their importance in relation to other tasks, not difficulty;
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Don’t go in without a plan, but don’t expect things to go according to it;
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Remain flexible and adaptable to changes;
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Find common touchpoints and try to complete the same task across all projects involving it (if possible);
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Understand your team structure and individual skill sets;
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Provide internal communication channels for both permanent and contracted workers;
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Utilise your existing digital tools before setting off to adopt new ones;
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Block time to focus on one project at a time instead of project-jumping.
These are quick tips you can start following right away. While they are not extremely impactful, they will make the task of managing multiple projects easier. More visible results will stem from more sophisticated approaches, which is what we will be discussing next.
How to Stay on Top of All Your Projects
A good project manager will always have visibility and control over how things are going. It is much easier said than done, or so we are seasoned to believe. However, every project manager can elevate their game to that of a multi-tasking pro level. The below methods aren’t rocket science, but they are proven to be highly effective.
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Automate Initially and Keep Optimising As You Go
We have touched on automation and its importance when handling multiple projects simultaneously in our previous article. However, the topic is so broad and important we must continue emphasising on it. The truth is, the sooner you start automating, the better off you will be. Not only does automation save time by taking over repetitive tasks, but with time and optimisation, it can help you get better in other areas such as resource allocation, forecasting and many more. Unlike the common belief, you don’t need to start off by automating huge tasks all at the same time. In fact, it’s recommended to start small and gradually add layers.
Automation isn’t a one-off but rather a continuous process that delivers not just efficiency but also valuable data. It reduces the chance of human error, which is extremely prevalent when it comes to project management on a large scale. The data collected can also help you identify the gaps in your operations and communication, hinting at new areas where automation could be implied. Most importantly, it enables you and your team to focus on tasks that drive the process and secure future growth: relationship building, market research, interest gauging and many more.
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Be Smart About Resource Allocation
Most projects suffer from not having enough resources, be it the workforce, the budget or anything else. It can often become a major roadblock that affects the general quality of the delivery, as well as the ability to meet the deadlines. The matters get even more complicated when the same resources are spread across multiple projects. This means you need to be very meticulous in how you plan their use or you will inevitably crash and burn.
Project management software, for one, can be a great aid when determining where your priorities are and how much resource you can spare without compromising other projects. With an overview of all the active tasks and their deadlines, you can easily switch things around if needed, get ready in advance and leave yourself plenty of room to wiggle. Overall, it’s important to accept things aren’t likely to go according to the plan and you should therefore be confident and flexible when introducing changes. A designated project management platform helps you with exactly that.
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Effortless Communication and Transparency
One area that suffers the most when trying to stay on top of multiple projects is, undoubtedly, communication. This is pretty normal, given your and your team’s attention is now divided between multiple clients, meaning you have less time to personalise your approach. Unfortunately, relationship-building and transparency are vital for successful project delivery. So, how do you tackle the problem, given this is rooted in our capacities as humans? Simple. You can automate and digitise communication. What’s more, this doesn’t mean your approach will be less individualised. Quite the opposite.
Say, client A prefers being invoiced mid-month, whereas client B finds the end of the month more convenient. Instead of either doing the job of invoicing twice or more a month, or making all clients adjust to your preference, you can automate invoices being raised and distributed for each client separately. The same approach goes to transparency-related matters. If you use project management software, you can create client-custom dashboards that show live progress to both, saving you time putting together updates.
Summary
No doubt, managing multiple projects at once is a challenge. The fast-paced and competitive environment of today is forcing that number to grow, often forgetting that project managers are only human and therefore have limits. Thankfully, when the right tools are utilised, the said limits can be pushed. What’s more, this approach can change how the entirety of your business runs, elevating it to new heights.
Automation of different tasks reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks across the projects, allowing you to focus on more individual and progress-driving assignments. The right tools also make project progress tracking easier and more centralised, which helps with deploying resources to the right places at the right time. Finally, it helps build seamless communication and personalised experiences for your clients, without you having to waste time on endless back and forths.
Are you ready to see how these tips work in real life? Give us a shout.
