>>Hello, I'm Jennifer Whitt, Director of ProjectManager.com.
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>>Well welcome to our whiteboard session today on project management skills and how to multi-task
as a project manager.
So, you hear that term a lot.
There's a lot of controversy over it.
Can we really do it?
Can't we do it?
Who knows.
The fact is we try to do it.
So here's what it looks like.
Here's what my day looks like.
Sometimes it starts out I'm on the treadmill in the morning, trying to catch up with the
latest of the news.
Talking on my cellphone.
Probably trying to get in a text and read my email at the same time.
Sometimes it may look like I'm at my desk, on the phone, maybe watching a webinar, trying
to do a web meeting.
Maybe trying to sneak in some emails at the same time.
Maybe I'm on the way to the airport so I'm on the road about to get into a cab, and I'm
trying to get that last phone call in.
Maybe send some text and emails.
And I know you can relate too, based on some of the calls that I get from people.
So here's where multitasking was derived from.
It was derived initially from computer multitasking.
So, someone got the bright idea, "Wow if we can get our computers to multitask, can't
we get our humans to do it too?"
Well, we try.
And there's some problems with that.
What happens is were shifting our focus back and forth, back and forth on things were trying
to do at the same time or concurrently the best we can.
And what happens is that their insufficient attention, which leads to errors, which leads
to ultimately, time wasted.
The reason we're trying to do it is to gain time, but in essence sometimes we can waste
time.
So as a project manager, in essence what we're trying to do is, we're trying to do, we're
trying to get more done in less time.
There's actually a study by Stamford University on the qualities that companies seek in promoting
to leadership roles.
And so, this is one of the key qualities, and it's a great study.
They talk about it's a leadership skill.
It's kind of like project management.
It's a skill that maybe you might not have originally, but can develop this skill, or
so the research says.
So, when we talk about it from a reference of project management or project manager,
again you may use the term "divide and conquer".
So, there's a lot of research that you can go look up.
There's a lot that you can find on the web.
There are even courses taught on this.
But, to give some high level pointers on this, what were trying to again is divide and conquer.
So, how do we do that as a project manager?
We identify what work needs to be done, and when.
And then what we do is try to enroll others on our teams.
Trying to find other people who can assist us to get work done.
For instance, I as a project manager I know I'm on the road a lot.
I travel a lot, so I try to find things that I can off load or try to delegate to other
strategic team members on my team.
Or other vender partners who have the skill sets, the know how, and they know how to do
it.
So they can help me do it.
So, identify what needs to be done and when, enroll those other people to help, set schedules
and milestones of when things need to be done, and then follow up with people.
How are you doing?
How are things going?
Do you have any road blocks?
Do you need any assistance getting done?
And supporting them along the way, so if they're off loading thing from you then you can ask
"How can you support them along the way?"
So again, multitasking can be, again is trying to determine if we can or cannot do it successfully.
But I think when we talk about divide and conquer, and trying to get more done in less
time, these are just a few pointers that we can do that can help us as a project manager,
because in truth we are trying to get so many things done.
These are some of the things that help me when my day looks like this, and I trying
to get to the airport and get things done along the way.
And I hope they will help you too.
If your looking for a tool that can help you multitask as a project manager, then sign
up for our software now at ProjectManager.com.