“Creating small goals to achieve to complete the priority project well”
Project management is a real skill that is required by many industries these days due to the fact that the standards of living and lifestyles of people have changed. To cope up with the extra competition and to be the one to get that promotion that one’s company is offering for being the best of all the employees, many seek to bite off more than they can chew.
When particularly dealing with said projects it is essential that the holy laws that govern the process of the particular projects; planning, organizing, staffing, leading, directing, and controlling are followed to the best capacity as only when these laws are followed, a viable and more success prone project can be birthed.
Now coming back to the main issue of having more on ones plate than the appetite, the project managers face certain backlash, either due to their personal short comes or because they simply cannot handle the load of doing so much with almost no time in their hands. Some reasons why these managers struggle are mostly the following:
1.Feeling overwhelmed
Once the projects have been taken up, the first emotion that the project manager will feel is a sudden weight being put on their shoulders and suddenly freeze or feel paralyzed with what they have just done. Taking on too many projects than they can handle can make them feel stressed to the point where they just start procrastinating or become emotionally drained to do anything due to over thinking.
2.Lost priorities
Let us assume that Bob; a very hard working and dedicated man, has taken up three projects Alpha, Beta and Gamma. These three projects have a week gap between each other as a deadline. Now Gamma is the last project that has to be presented and Alpha is due in the following week. Bob regardless decides to work on Gamma and Beta instead and then in the middle of it all begins working on Alpha after a few days with the due date of Alpha nearing. Bob could have prioritized Alpha as it was the first project due but he prioritized Gamma which was at that point in time not as important.
Similar situations occur in the real life as well. People who can multitask on various projects at the same time simply lose their sense of priority on which project requires immediate attention and which project requires the least. There are many prioritizing scoring methodologies that can be implemented to manage the priorities to play around.
3.Time mismanagement
Usually when working on multiple projects at a time, it is essential that time management is done properly otherwise like Bob’s case, the most priority project will be left pending and the least will probably have poor quality content which will not even be worth presenting. If time given to each project is not equal or just then there is absolutely no way one can deliver the quantity and quality needed.
Now that Bob has taken up the multiple projects, and is going through all these issues internally, his work is showing effect simultaneously. With poor management and organization all the other work in progress suffers. Now if he can handle the work load yet finds it hard to meet the demands of the projects then the following steps come into handy.
1.Prioritizing the main project
Instead of working on a project that has a long due, work on what is urgent as tempting as it may be to not do so. The human mind relies on what you feed it, hence by telling yourself that that Alpha is more important you will technically be pushing Beta and Gamma away from your thought process all together.
2.Taking regular breaks between work
It may seem like a trivial and focus breaking task but as much as it is important to complete the work at hand, it is important to also take regular breaks to avoid mind blocks and to have a more productive approach as compared to when you take no breaks and continuously work, tiring your mind. It would be to have a short conversation with a colleague or friend or simply go out for a short walk before resuming work.
3.Dividing equal time for each project
In cases where all taken projects are due on the same day, arrange your schedule such that each project gets enough time or attention so as to stay at the top of all things necessary. From a birds point of view, everything should look organized enough to understand at a glance.
4.Creating small goals to achieve to complete the priority project well
One way of completing all projects is to break them down into smaller doable tasks (follow sprints that is worth practicing) that can be completed in a short period of time which in turn increases work progress and helps dealing with overwhelming emotions and procrastination. These small goals also take you further than having no goals or no plan whatsoever on how to complete the said projects. Bigger goals make it seem impossible or too tiring to complete but these same tasks broken down into smaller ones make it more than easier to complete.
5.De- cluttering your workspace to create a fresh and productive environment
It is proven that working in a cluttered office or work space is more draining than working in a place where there is no clutter at all. The aura of the work space directly affects productivity and if there is a huge clutter just by where you work then it just stimulates your brain into getting sidetracked thus bringing about the feelings of stress and procrastination, which is why it is more than advised to work in a de-cluttered space with ambient light to bring about a positive working aura.
Handling many projects can be a hustle but with the right mindset, discipline, ethics and energy it can not only produce quality results but can also help one and all progress in life and grow as an individual with valuable skills and knowledge acquired through such an experience. It does not delve well to give up but rather it pays to work hard and smart.
