How to improve multi-project management
Project activity accounts for around 30% of GDP in developed economies. Logically, many companies pay special attention to this area and try to organise the entire chain of processes as efficiently as possible. Multi-project management is particularly relevant when working on several projects at the same time. On the one hand, this approach allows you to achieve high results, but on the other hand, it increases the risk of problems.
A multi-project environment has a number of peculiarities that managers must take into account when organising processes:
- the need to engage with many stakeholders who do not overlap. In this case, it is necessary to integrate them into certain activities, sometimes separately and sometimes together;
- a large number of sponsors and customers to deal with;
- more defined tasks and customer expectations;
- difficulties in the organisation of project teams, whose members may have other tasks to do;
- greater risk of resource constraints, requiring greater attention to detail;
- deadline pressures and fears of not being able to complete an old project before starting a new one.
How to organise workflow in a multi-project environment
Multi-project activities increase the workload of both the manager and the team members. It, therefore, requires a different approach than a single task. It is important to be able to maintain a balance between your own affairs, supervising specialists and solving their problems.
In this case, it is necessary to organise the workflow in such a way that the project activities do not interfere with the main tasks of the specialists. For example, an accountant can implement new solutions. At the end of the month, however, he should be dealing with his direct payroll tasks.
Multi-project management skills
Researchers surveyed a large number of managers and team workers to identify the key skills for successfully managing multiple projects. Respondents ranked the ability to plan tasks first, followed by the ability to communicate with customers and employees. Leadership skills came in third. The ability to plan primarily involves paying attention to detail so as not to miss opportunities for growth or the beginnings of a team crisis. Prioritising can also be a necessary and valuable tool for multi-project management. In addition, a manager must have the courage to take responsibility for one task at the expense of another.
Interaction in a multi-project environment is like juggling, where only clear control allows you to keep the balls in the air. The manager must focus on the goals without wasting resources on unimportant details.
