Feeling overwhelmed by multiple projects? Take a deep breath and dive into this guide! We’ll equip you with the knowledge & tools to manage your workload like a pro!
Introduction: Manage & Track Multiple Projects
Juggling multiple projects can feel like a high-wire act, with looming deadlines. Emails ping, tasks snowball, and sanity hangs by a thread. By harnessing the power of effective systems and intelligent tools, you can transform multitasking mayhem into masterful execution. So, take a deep breath, unclench your fists, and prepare to conquer your project mountain with these powerful tips.
When managing and tracking a single project, there are so many steps that one should take to deliver results. The situation gets even more complicated when running multiple projects simultaneously.
If you find yourself in a situation where you must run multiple projects, you must be familiar with project management methodologies. It demands a lot of practice, switching engagement from one project to another together while following the deadlines.
This blog will help you identify challenges when managing and tracking multiple assignments and familiarize you with the best strategies and tools to overcome them.
Who manages and tracks multiple projects?
Even though operating and tracking projects involves many stakeholders, ultimately, the person who holds primary responsibility for their success or failure is the multi-project manager. It’s a huge responsibility to take on. However, only the ones with the most significant managerial and communication skills can attain not the best but invariant results.
Common multi-project manager competencies:
- Includes an innovative thinking style,
- Isn’t detail-oriented,
- Encloses multitasking skills,
- Capable of redirecting from one project to another,
- Accords with stress effectively,
- Deals with variances within a team,
- Uses aids effectively,
- Juggles team and client’s needs effectively
Professional project managers possess soft and hard skills to run multiple projects systematically. Therefore, open communication within the team is the foundation for managing and tracking multiple projects simultaneously.
Eight methods to manage and track multiple projects effectively
It would help if you combined customer conditions, project plans, scopes, team members, budget and all that multiplied by three or even five projects simultaneously. Sounds impossible? It doesn’t have to be if you opt for the right strategies. We’ve prepared eight strategies to help you manage and track multiple projects effectively.
- Learn how to run a single project.
If you are new to project management, you need to comprehend that you can’t jump into running multiple projects at once without knowing how to run a single project first effectively.
The project management approach starts with the project kickoff meeting, where the project sponsor presents all the objectives and requirements. After that, you need to meet those requirements and create your statement of work according to the project starter. Your statement of work, also known as the “scope of work,” must describe the entire scope of work, including the expenses, timelines, and expected deliverables.
2. Develop a plan
Whether running a single project or a set of projects, you must develop a project plan or each project separately. Only then can you keep track of project activities and provide your team with a clear scope.
The project plan includes:
- Project requirements — Schedule a session with all stakeholders and gather the requirements collectively
- Project scope — Define the scope of your work and exclude irrelevant things.
- WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) — A method for breaking the project down into smaller pieces that helps you make a budgeting plan and a timeframe for each task.
- Schedule — A formed schedule will help you estimate how long a particular task will take to complete a project.
- Budgeting — To clearly define your budget, you need the WBS. Don’t forget to include risks in your budget plan.
When you have a transparent plan, you and your team members will clearly understand the scope and always stay on task. Moreover, you can switch from one project to another effectively without losing precious time.
3.Determine a priority.
Many strategies can help you run multiple projects smoothly when managing and tracking them. We want to give special attention to project prioritization. A priority project for a stakeholder is not necessarily a priority for an organization. Giving priority to projects can be a massive undertaking for a decision-maker who is usually a multi-project manager or a senior manager. To ensure you successfully define a priority project, some steps can help you make a practical decision.
Here are five steps that will make prioritizing easier.
- Set a goal : When determining a priority project, one must always consider the long-term goal. Projects are doomed to fail if you don’t have a clear goal. When in doubt, ask yourself: What am I trying to accomplish? Why is this project important? When knowing objectives, you focus on the most important steps to deliver results.
- Systematically prioritize tasks : If, for instance, there are ten projects to prioritize, the decision-maker should number the projects based on priority 1 to 10 — being the least important. Moreover, to determine a priority project, attention should be given to which projects depend on the others. Only when a predecessor project ends can a dependent project begin.
- Assign resources: High-priority tasks are given resources first. Moreover, if several ongoing projects don’t share resources, decision-makers allocate necessary resources to priority projects first.
- Distinguish between urgent and important tasks : According to research, people choose to perform time-sensitive tasks first, i.e., urgent tasks, rather than important ones with long-term results. This is because essential tasks are usually more intimidating. To distinguish between critical and vital, you must step out of your comfort zone and dive in-depth into resolving critical tasks first.
- Schedule priority meetings : Finally, priority meetings should be held to determine priorities. They don’t have to be separate meetings as long as all decision-making stakeholders are present and concerted. Prioritizing your work is a fantastic strategy that saves time and effort when managing and tracking multiple projects simultaneously. Follow the steps accordingly; we guarantee you will never fail projects again.
4. Don’t allow distractions.
Being busy doesn’t necessarily lead to productivity. So, try to manage distractions such as responding to chat messages, talking to coworkers, or checking notifications. Automate your email responses to save time, and don’t let trivial distractions get in the way of prioritizing your work.
Also, learn how to say “No”. If you don’t know to say “No”, you’ll be swamped with work. You already have too much on your plate — juggling several projects at once is stressful enough. Saying “No” is beneficial to you and your business. Just be straightforward and kind but firm. Eliminating distractions at work will declutter your mind and keep you focused.
5. Have regular meetings
Regular meetings are paramount since 90% of project management is about communication. All stakeholders should be present at the meeting; if some of the decision-makers still need to be included, reschedule the meeting. A top project manager has an agenda at least 24 hours before the meeting and shares the PowerPoint presentation in advance. This way, everyone has a clear view of the project and its objectives. Remember: manage the meeting — not the presentation slides. Moreover, one meeting should only cover one topic.
6. Use the right tool for your needs.
Experienced project managers can testify to the importance of storing all information in one area when your tasks are strewed across various tools; neither you nor your team members understand the scope.But which tool should you use? So many project management tools are available, and one can be in a quandary for a reason.
When opting for the right tool, a quality managing and tracking tool should: Be convenient and easy to use. Track time and progress on a project. Keep an eye on the budget and notify you when the estimated budget is reached. Break down projects by tasks.
Provide project and task deadlines. Be shareable and visible to your team at all times. Moreover, we must also draw your attention to using the right product management tool. While the project manager’s job is to deliver the product successfully and lead it through different stages of the project, the product manager’s job is to ensure customer requirements are met afterward. To do so, a product manager must opt for a suitable product management tool to make the product onboarding run smoothly.
You should also bear in mind that no tool will do the work for you. Carefully study its features and learn how to use them accordingly.
7. Adjust to change
As a multi-project manager, projects change over time. Changes in project management are almost inevitable, especially if you run multiple projects at once. With a change control procedure, you will retain control over your work, and projects are condemned to failure.
When you assess the issue, you must determine your next solution step. You may need to integrate changes regarding your work scope, budget, or timeframe. Bear in mind that sometimes, an issue doesn’t require any action at all.
8. Delegate your work
Sometimes, you must assign responsibilities to other people in your team. Since you can’t do everything alone, you should build trust within your team and delegate tasks accordingly.
However, even when you assign responsibilities to other people, that doesn’t mean you are no longer responsible for the outcome. Your job is to monitor the work in progress and exert control over it. Bear in mind that delegating doesn’t mean micromanaging.
Therefore, connect with your team so that you can have an understanding of what they’re doing. It makes your life easy knowing you have open communication to ensure that things are on track.
Conclusion
Multitasking multiple projects doesn’t have to be a circus act. By prioritizing, collaborating effectively, and utilizing the right technology, you can transform chaos into confidence. Unleash your inner project maestro with these tips, and let tools like Juntrax be your loyal partner in mastering the art of multi-project success. To know more, read our blog on Conquering the Project Planning Mountain : A Guide to Accurate Time Estimation!
