Effective time management for project managers is essential. Not only are they responsible for their own time, they also have to manage the time of their team.
Project managers who have the skills to stay within their project schedule and who have the experience to successfully manage any obstacles that could impact the time line have a much greater chance of staying within the project budget and completing it successfully.
In order to be a successful project manager, you need to be able to manage your time well.
Here are 8 Effective Time Management Tips for Project Managers:
1. Use the right equipment: An effective project manager will need the right tools at his/her disposal. Without the right tools even the most talented project manager will be limited.
2. Create the project plan: By creating a solid plan that is possible to achieve ensures that everyone knows what they are doing and when they are doing it. Setting regular milestones against this will help you measure the project schedule. By having this clear plan you are giving the team clarity. As a lack of clarity could impact your project time line.
3. Trust the project team: Delegation of project tasks by the project manager to the team is essential in order to keep the project on schedule. Therefore you need to trust your project team that they can successfully complete their tasks to a high standard.
4. Create a solid strategy for risk management: Your projects are at risk for many things and could impact your project time line dramatically
5. Team meetings with an agenda: Effectively run your project update meetings by ensuring that they are well organised and have an agenda against them. Invite only the people that should be there. By keeping the project meetings lean and focused will ensure that the main topics are discussed and finalised and any other business considerations are kept to a minimum.
6. Effective lines of communication: A project won’t run smoothly unless the lines of communication are clear and the right people get access to the right information. A system that allows for effective communication and collaboration is a must.
7. Don’t be afraid to say no: You can’t always be a yes man! As a project manager you have your limits. It is important to understand that you are not superman and you cannot do the impossible. If you are getting to a situation where you need to say no – you will need to look into some alternative options that will allow you to make the impossible – possible!
8. Stay focused: Keep your eye on the prize throughout the project and don’t get distracted by insignificant aspects relating to the project.
By following some of these time management tips, as the project manager you are ensuring that all the elements relating to the project are systematically aligned together towards an end project goal.
