For any professional, being productive is a must. You need to make sure that you are using your time wisely and achieving something every day. This is especially the case in project management, where the stakes are so high and the projects, in some cases, so complex. Nevertheless, when managing a team and interacting with so many different people, it can be hard to be a productive project manager all the time. So, let’s take a look at how the best project managers do it. You may pick up some useful tips that help you stay productive, making you a better project manager overall.
They create a list of tasks at the end of each day
Before they leave the office at the end of the day; successful project managers create a list of the important activities and tasks they should focus on when they get into the office the following morning. Having this laser focus is vital to stay productive. Otherwise, you will arrive at the office and waste time figuring out what you should be doing.
They don’t respond to every email as soon as it comes in
This is a tip that can benefit everyone in an office environment, not just project managers. Checking your emails as soon as they come through and replying instantly breaks up the day. This makes it hard for you to get into a flow because you are always stopping to respond to your messages. Instead, dedicate a certain period of the day for checking and responding to your emails.
They master the art of delegation
Project managers often make the mistake of trying to do too much. It is not that they do not trust their team. It is that they feel responsible for the success of the project, and so they feel obligated to do as much as possible. However, you need to trust in your team and delegate tasks whenever you can. Spreading yourself too thinly won’t help anyone.
They invest in continuous professional development
The best project managers are those who realise that training and development are not only for beginners. They are dedicated to enhancing their skill set and learning all of the time. This is vital in terms of productivity because they pick up new skills and techniques that can help them to manage their teams more efficiently.
So there you have it: some of the best ways to become a productive project manager. Leave those emails until a certain point of the day and make sure you create a task list before you leave the office. Little changes like this can make a massive difference and before you know it you will notice that you are getting a lot more done in far less time.
