Managing Multiple Projects? Here’s What You Need To Know

You might often find yourself managing or working on multiple projects at the same time. Although our cognitive abilities should be able to handle this, it can sometimes be difficult to manage. The following  tricks and strategies can be helpful when tracking several projects.

MANAGE YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE

Set a dedicated time each day to assess the progress of every projects you are managing and the tasks that need to be done. Keep your calendar updated for all important events and deadlines. Additionally, be sure to make use of the reminder feature on electronic calendars.

SET INTERNAL DEADLINES AND REMINDERS

To combat the all-to-common issue of missed or overdue deadlines and tasks, consider setting two deadlines, an internal deadline for your team and an external deadline for the actual date of the deliverable. Also, set several reminders and email notifications to keep you and your team accountable and on track.

DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT

When managing or working on multiple projects, relying solely on memory is not a good strategy. Learn to write down and document as many details as possible. In team meetings or during any engagements with clients or stakeholders, be sure to take precise notes. A bullet-point list is sufficient to capture vital information and keep it simple.

ORGANIZE YOUR FILES

Think of the time you might spend searching for a file, an email, or a document if you aren’t organized. Many organizations have gone paperless or paper-lite, so electronic filing systems should be efficient. Always give your files clear, understandable names. If your company or organization does not use document control or file control software, consider developing a filing hierarchy system for your own work. This might include folder names and paths based on projects and/or categories.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY

There are many tools available in the market to help you manage multiple projects. Such tools come with options for reporting functions, dashboards, and other advanced features.

CLONE THE SYSTEM

If you have a tested and tried a system or methodology that worked for you on previous projects, consider cloning and applying it to similar projects in your queue This will help you stay organized and save time as you won’t be recreating the wheel for subsequent projects