What are the important thing challenges when engaged on a number of tasks concurrently? How do you prioritize work when the whole lot is essential?
I requested 570 venture managers these questions (and extra) to search out out what life is like in 2024 for venture managers main a number of tasks, to comply with on from my analysis on the identical matter in 2022.
On this article, we’ll dive into my 2024 analysis outcomes and also you’ll study:
- The three challenges that venture managers battle with
- The important thing expertise required for managing a number of tasks
- What number of venture managers are overwhelmed with work
- The dimensions of AI instruments in use by venture managers.
View the uncooked knowledge
Scroll right down to interrogate the information set which is embedded on the finish of this text.
This wasn’t a survey about venture portfolio administration on the PMO stage. As an alternative, I wished to know what it’s like as somebody who has a workload made up of a number of tasks – as a result of that’s the world I stay in too.
Serious about how these managing a number of tasks statistics differ from different analysis I’ve executed? Try these:
Most venture managers work on associated tasks
Most venture managers reported managing 2 to five tasks, which is per my different analysis and previous surveys. So no change there.
This time I requested about how these tasks are managed, and 73% of the time it’s with a person plan.
What’s unusual is that fifty% of respondents mentioned that their tasks are associated ultimately, for instance by consumer, so that they completely may consolidate plans. Solely 14% consolidate plans by sponsor or consumer/buyer.
Leaders don’t make use of the chance to consolidate plans – though we also needs to acknowledge that generally the portfolio of labor you get means you may’t simply consolidate anyway.
19% of venture managers are overwhelmed
Practically 1 in 5 venture managers is overwhelmed. And an additional 55% say they handle, however they aren’t loving the job. The truth is, solely 26% mentioned they thrive on the problem of managing a number of tasks.
I’m unsure what we are able to take from this as a result of everyone seems to be completely different, and if I had executed the survey, I might have answered otherwise relying on what day it was. The place do you fall on the spectrum?
65% of venture managers say they battle with perfectionism
Undertaking managers are busy individuals, however one persona trait is widespread in my mentees and in addition in venture managers I meet: perfectionism. I wished to ask about this, as it might maintain you again from managing your time successfully while you juggle a number of tasks.
65% of venture managers report combating being a perfectionist.
Practically 50% mentioned that being indecisive was an issue. That may result in not with the ability to transfer ahead with out extra knowledge or extra session – and whereas that might be a superb factor in sure conditions, generally you simply want to maneuver on.
35% of survey respondents mentioned that placing extra time into getting ready was a battle for his or her time administration.
Sure, we now have to do a superb job, however while you’ve received a number of tasks on the go, it’s unimaginable to offer each process the gold-plated commonplace. Some duties should be executed effectively and a few duties merely should be executed.
A venture supervisor says…
I’ve discovered that attending to know my weaknesses has helped, for instance, if I procrastinate why?
If I over put together or am a perfectionist why is that this and the way can I tackle these fears?
If I battle to undertake new methods of working and to alter then how can I assist myself successfully?
Additionally, to acknowledge my group’s tradition and what can and can’t be modified has helped me to let some issues go as past my management to alter.
Most venture managers prioritize their very own workload
Half of venture managers prioritize their very own workload as a result of there isn’t a one else to do it for them.
- 16% have workloads prioritized by the PMO
- 17% have workloads prioritized by their supervisor
And should you don’t have these in place, or one other approach, then the one choice is to attempt to work out what’s crucial work your self. That’s not simple, and it’s an additional burden for venture professionals.
A venture supervisor says…
It’s chaos, however the cat-herding may be extremely rewarding when it’s profitable. I attempt to focus much less on what number of tasks I’ve and extra on clearing the trail for the implementers. They don’t want me to do their job, they want me to allow their job. Getting the purple tape out of their approach builds an unbelievable sense of shared focus and camaraderie.
Communication is crucial ability for managing a number of tasks
Unsurprisingly, and in step with final time’s survey outcomes, communication was ranked crucial ability for managing tasks by 90% of venture managers.
Communication was carefully adopted by:
- Planning/scheduling (84%)
- Stakeholder engagement (62%)
- Workforce administration (53%)
- Useful resource administration (50%) and extra on that under
- Management (49%)
- Danger administration (39%)
Governance got here in final at solely 31%. My very own expertise bears this out – while you’re busy, you lose a whole lot of the governance and a focus to element since you simply don’t have time to fill in yet one more doc that nobody will learn. Concentrate on doing the governance paperwork and processes that make a distinction.
A venture supervisor says…
I don’t take pleasure in managing a number of tasks, particularly as the vast majority of my tasks don’t interlink, they’re separate work areas with separate groups. Everyday, issues are at all times a rush, and I don’t have the time to essentially perceive the subjects of labor, the tasks themselves and get to know the groups effectively sufficient. It at all times appears like you’re on the floor stage. There isn’t a time to plan correctly with the intention to get forward of conditions, and feels prefer it’s a continuing battle of points arising.
Most venture managers curate their very own templates
I believed that the majority venture managers would have entry to a typical doc repository in all however the smallest of organizations. Nonetheless, this doesn’t appear to be the case. 63% of venture leaders say they’ve their very own library of previous paperwork that they use to construct out their venture documentation.
Solely 35% have entry to a PMO library of normal templates.
Folks had been in a position to choose a couple of reply right here, so it’s doable that some survey respondents have their very own template library and a PMO commonplace doc repository.
A venture supervisor says…
I believe the largest factor I want to know is how I can create my own checklists. We did have a PMO, however it’s been dissolved and I’ve been largely left by myself.
Managing sources on a number of tasks
90% of tasks use shared sources. In different phrases, the subject material consultants working in your venture are additionally engaged on different tasks. Having a devoted, full-time crew is uncommon.
The commonest strategy to get individuals to work on tasks is to speak to crew leaders. That’s been a part of the PMI useful resource administration processes for so long as I can bear in mind, however in actuality, venture managers usually don’t have the seniority or authority to easily safe sources simply by asking.
Practically 40% of venture managers have already got recognized sources by the point the venture will get to them which I believe is nice.
A venture supervisor says…
It’s extremely difficult. By way of this function, I’ve realized greater than ever that widespread sense is just not widespread, sources can’t at all times be relied upon to do the work they’re assigned to do and/or by the deadline they’ve agreed to do it. Vendor administration has additionally gotten considerably more durable over time – requiring SOWs and enterprise necessities to be extra express and detailed than they’ve ever been within the occasion it’s recognized that there are points with deliverables (high quality, gaps in necessities, timeliness) – I’ve personally skilled all 3 this 12 months with at the very least 2 tasks. Conferences are as a rule recorded (us and vendor). RfPs and POCs are additionally rising as a result of there’s a lack of belief that distributors can ship what they’re promoting. It’s a side of venture administration that I don’t notably love.
A venture supervisor says…
Throughout the tasks I work on I usually encounter accountability points when main tasks. Though the tasks are given the inexperienced gentle to progress and are carefully aligned to methods and there are outlined stakeholders the organizational tradition tends to function on the aspect of over session. This ends in lack of choice making as nobody particular person takes possession even when this possibly their accountability. This results in circling round completely different stakeholders to try to safe a choice. This in flip creates delays in progressing the work or in some circumstances the venture grow to be shelved and now not seen as a precedence.
Do AI instruments assist handle tasks?
In a phrase, no. AI instruments don’t (but) assist the vast majority of venture managers do their each day work. Solely 19% of respondents reported getting access to and utilizing AI instruments. Everybody else both doesn’t have entry to the instruments or doesn’t use them.
The boundaries to entry flagged within the verbatim feedback had been principally round safety issues and AI instruments not being ‘inside coverage’ to make use of. I believe insurance policies have to catch up, in any other case increasingly workers will begin utilizing AI instruments exterior of the officially-sanctioned merchandise. Shadow IT has at all times been an issue however it could be extra of a priority as people attempt to faucet into the instruments which can be on the market however that aren’t formally in use.
Monitoring time (or not)
Most venture managers (54%) don’t observe time on their tasks, however it’s very shut. The survey didn’t ask individuals to say what trade they labored in, so I might assume that individuals who do observe time work in skilled companies, businesses or different client-facing roles.
They may additionally work in in-house roles on tasks the place exercise may be capitalized for accounting causes if they’re creating an asset (like we are able to do right here within the UK) and that will require them to trace time at the very least at a excessive stage.
A venture supervisor says…
I really like the quick tempo and no two days are hardly ever the identical. It’s a must to be tremendous organized and it helps when you’ve got the identical sponsor or stakeholders for some tasks. Engaged on a number of tasks is an effective way to get to know an unlimited vary of stakeholders throughout your group throughout, each enterprise and know-how, in addition to exterior distributors. It actually helps me to leverage governance supplies and paperwork from earlier tasks so I’m not ranging from scratch every time.
My tasks would usually in at numerous levels of the lifecycle so I needed to prioritize my time based mostly on which was at a most crucial level or which had essentially the most important points – however stability it in order that I used to be nonetheless on prime of all milestones and saved up good communications with stakeholders / sponsors.
I usually discovered I needed to work late or at weekends as I had little time in the course of the work day as could be in again to again conferences because of the quantity of tasks I used to be managing in parallel – this was the one time I had an opportunity to compensate for actions from conferences, emails, write documentation. I attempted to maintain my Fridays as assembly free as doable or block out time in my calendar if I wanted to arrange a doc and was struggling to search out the time.
What can we study from these outcomes
So what does this survey inform us? Listed here are my key takeaways.
- With almost 20% of venture managers reporting overwhelm, we run a severe danger of dropping expertise.
- Most venture managers are perfectionists! We wish to do a tremendous job and don’t prefer it when organizational tradition or workload means we are able to’t.
- Managers have to play a a lot higher function in setting priorities.
- Organizations have to up their sport by creating standardized paperwork and processes for venture administration to alleviate the burden of getting to create new supplies on each venture.
- Consolidate your venture plans to avoid wasting your self time! Find out how in my e-book, Managing Multiple Projects.
View the information
Survey notes
This survey ran from finish of June to early August 2024. It was promoted to my neighborhood on electronic mail and social media, so respondents self-selected to participate. There have been 732 individuals, leading to 570 accomplished surveys. Round 6% of 680 respondents to the screening query answered by saying they had been solely managing one venture, they usually had been excluded from persevering with with the survey.
