Successful project managers avoid wasting valuable time and are more productive. The following time management tips can help lead to such increased productivity.
- With a comprehensive plan, everyone on the team knows where the focus should be, allowing the project manager to spend less time dealing with issues caused by confusion and more time tracking progress and moving the project forward.
- Don’t waste time on endless team meetings. Enforce an agenda that keeps meetings short and to the point. Discussions about big issues should only include individuals that are directly involved. It is pointless to have the whole team sit through a discussion when they could be working.
- Following the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, can also improve productivity. As a project manager it pays to focus on the 20 per cent of activities that are most important since these tasks can yield 80 per cent of the desired results.
- There is no need to get involved in the technical work. It is the project manager’s job to allow the carefully chosen team to concentrate on their work. Instead, spend time steering the project to success. When the project manager loses sight of the big picture problems are created rather than solved.
- Making a daily to-do list, and crossing items off the list as they are completed, gives a sense of satisfaction and keeps the project manager focused on the day’s objectives.
By following these time management tips the project is sure to move forward and have a greater potential for success.
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“It is the project manager’s job to allow the carefully chosen team to concentrate on their work”
I’ve seen sentiments like this in many places, whereby it is implied that the PM has control over who works on their project. However, what are some good ways of managing a project where resources, schedule & budget have been imposed upon you – i.e. you don’t get to select your team? What are some techniques for “making do with what you’ve got?”