From Overwhelmed to In Control: A Project Manager's Blueprint

From the Editor's Desk:

One of our subscribers, reached out with an interesting question: "What are your tips on prioritising projects" First off, thank you, Marcia - this is a challenge many project managers face, and I'm excited to share my experiences and strategies on this topic.

Time-Tested Prioritization Strategies That Actually Work

When you have your project management software humming and clients successfully onboarded, you might think you're all set. But then reality hits: multiple projects demanding your attention simultaneously. How do you juggle them all without dropping the ball?

I learned this lesson first hand while managing 48 team members across 9 concurrent projects. Some team members were shared resources, making the puzzle even more complex. In what seemed like an impossibly tight 8-hour workday, I found myself constantly on my toes, fighting fires rather than preventing them.

The Breaking Point

It wasn't until I noticed work stress seeping into my weekend that I realised something had to change. Taking a step back, I developed a systematic approach to project prioritisation that transformed my workflow.

The Strategy That Worked

Here's the framework I developed:

1. Morning Power Hours (9:00 AM - 10:30 AM)

• Focus on tasks that others depend on

• Review and unblock team impediments

• Make critical decisions that keep projects moving

2. Strategic Communication Block (10:30 AM - 12:00 PM)

• Handle urgent client emails

• Process team requests

• Schedule important meetings

3. Deep Work Period (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM)

• Project planning

• Statement of Work (SOW) development

• Strategic documentation

• Resource allocation planning

4. Client Engagement (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

• Client meetings and updates

• Status report reviews

• Stakeholder management

Key Prioritization Principles:

1. Impact Assessment

• Evaluate each task's impact on project timelines

• Consider dependencies and bottlenecks

• Assess resource availability

2. Urgency vs. Importance Matrix

• Urgent and Important: Do immediately

• Important but Not Urgent: Schedule for deep work periods

• Urgent but Not Important: Delegate when possible

• Neither Urgent nor Important: Eliminate or defer

3. Resource Optimisation

• Identify shared resources early

• Plan for resource conflicts

• Build buffer time for unexpected challenges

4. Risk Management

• Prioritize high-risk deliverables

• Monitor project health indicators

• Maintain contingency plans

Pro Tips:

1. Use the "2-Minute Rule": If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately

2. Block time for unexpected issues (I reserve 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon)

3. Create templates for recurring tasks to save time

4. Implement a weekly project health check system

5. Maintain a priority-adjusted task list that's reviewed daily

Tools That Help:

• Project management software with priority flags

• Time-tracking tools

• Automated status report generators

• Calendar blocking apps

The Results After implementing this system:

• Project delivery times improved by 20%

• Team stress levels decreased

• Client satisfaction scores increased

• Weekend work became rare rather than routine

Project prioritisation is both an art and a science. While these frameworks provide structure, remain flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances.

The goal isn't perfection – it's sustainable progress across all projects while maintaining your sanity.

Have a productive week!

Hina