Managing Multiple Projects: How Project Managers Can Balance Priorities, Manage Expectations and Increase Productivity

by Elizabeth Harrin

Overview

Project management is changing. Rather than focusing solely on one large project, the majority of project managers are now expected to juggle multiple projects, which brings a different set of challenges.

Between a greater number of project sponsors, resource conflicts and constant pressure from deadlines, it can be difficult to avoid burnout. Managing Multiple Projects blends formal project management techniques with time management and productivity tools in a step-by-step approach to consolidating your workload. From combining schedules to prioritising work and engaging stakeholders, this book clearly explains how to adapt your behaviour and techniques to successfully work on several projects at once.

This practical guide provides answers to commonly asked questions (such as how to reduce the number of meetings and how to manage a To Do list) and includes case studies from real project managers. Checklists for common tasks and adaptable templates of trackers and reports are combined with easily actioned exercises to improve processes. Managing Multiple Projects gives practitioners the tools they need to improve the chances of project success and maintain a work-life balance. Online resources include downloadable templates of productivity checklists and status reports.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781398605503
Publisher:	Kogan Page, Ltd.
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	531,115
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.17(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Elizabeth Harrin provides training, education and mentorship to project managers through her award-winning website, Rebel's Guide to Project Management. She has over 20 years' experience managing large IT and business change projects in financial services and healthcare. She is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM) and is based in West Sussex, UK.

Table of Contents

** Chapter - 00: Introduction; ** Chapter - 01: Quick start guide: fast answers to urgent questions; ** Chapter - 02: Why managing multiple projects is different; ** Chapter - 03: Concept #1 - Portfolio - Understanding your workload; ** Chapter - 04: Concept #2 - Plan - Combining project schedules; ** Chapter - 05: Concept #3 - People - Engaging stakeholders across multiple projects; ** Chapter - 06: Concept #4 - Productivity - Managing your own time; ** Chapter - 07: Concept #5 - Positioning - Setting up the environment for success

Editorial Reviews

"In a world where everyone is increasingly expected to juggle multiple tasks, priorities and projects, this book is an important and much needed resource. Combining useful insights from effective managers with meaningful reflection, it offers a practical and tailorable coaching manual designed to guide and support managers throughout their multi-project career."

Professor Darren Dalcher

"This practical and well-written guide uses a simple framework to help you manage your workload, combine project schedules and engage stakeholders across multiple projects. It also helps you optimize your personal productivity. Reading this book will increase the quality of your work and save you time in the long run."

Executive Coach and author of “The Power of Susanne Madsen

"Elizabeth Harrin has written an excellent guidebook for project managers and others juggling multiple projects. Filled with practical advice on managing it all, you will become a better project manager. She lays out a framework that is easy to follow and will help you get control of your workload. To get the most out of this book, implement the action steps at the end of each chapter and check out the appendices to find helpful checklists and templates. I highly recommend this book."

Cornelius Fichtner

"We are living in a time of mass disruption, and Elizabeth counsels us that so much can be solved with better planning and by being better organized. When so much feels outside of our control, Elizabeth brings us order by presenting various tools and techniques to help us create our own ways of working across waterfall, hybrid and agile approaches. Want to be a better project manager? Read this book, get a hold of these practices, and put them into action."

Brantlee Underhill

"Managing a project is tough, managing multiple projects can be overwhelming. To succeed you need the skills of a juggler, a mind that can multi-process, and a spirit of adventure. A great reference guide can only be a bonus and this is exactly what you have in Elizabeth Harrin's book 'Managing Multiple Projects', a perfect partner to multiple project success."

author ‘The Lazy Project Manager’ Peter Taylor

"In this increasingly projectized world of portfolios, programs, multiple projects, tasks, contracts and virtual teams, in an ever more complex and uncertain environment, the challenges and stressors facing project professionals can be daunting. Elizabeth has taken on these challenges with knowledgeable, practical and very readable advice. She's one of the most creative project management experts that I know of. If you are working on two or more projects and want to both be more successful and reduce stress, this is the book for you."

David L. Pells

"The reason lots of project people are down-trodden, over worked, underpaid and undervalued is because they appear as a level of effort line on the project plan. They're there, but no-one knows what they really do. A non-value adding overhead. Elizabeth's book helps you become a benefits-driven portfolio. Rather than project managing others or blindly delivering tasks, it shows you how to better understand and manage yourself, but in a project and portfolio way. A strategic and self-reflective way. Poacher turned gamekeeper. The world needs smart citizens for the smart cities it needs to live in. This book will help you and help others make the world the better place it urgently needs to become."

Steve Wake

"Managing multiple projects is often neglected in project management theory and texts - so it's about time we finally get a practical no-nonsense guide that helps us deliver all our projects with their varying needs and stakeholders without burning out. Elizabeth knows her stuff!"

Anita Phagura

"Elizabeth has presented at several events for our Assistant community and written fantastic articles for our website. She is an expert in project management and always provides clear guidance and excellent strategies to those who need help managing multiple projects. I highly recommend her book and encourage anyone who has to manage projects to seek out her work."

Founder and Editor of Practically Perfect PA Nicky Christmas

"In work, there's no such thing as problems, merely the opportunity for projects and productivity. Elizabeth Harrin has written a thoughtful, detailed and useful guide to project management for smart people. It's packed with models, practical perspectives and some of the best thinking on being productive with the bigger picture. Whether your projects look like sushi, spaghetti or a side-dish, this book will help you make sense of them, and get your world under control."

founder of Think Productive and author of How to b Graham Allcott

"Organisations around the world are all suddenly demanding one key skill - the ability to manage multiple projects (MMP). The problem is that few people actually have this skill. This book shows how to rise to the challenge of MMP, make a fantastic contribution to your organization and yet still have a life. If you are facing MMP overload this book should be No 1 on your infinite "to do" list. read it now!"

Stephen Carver

"Employee engagement has a direct correlation to productivity" ... and the importance of engaging with people, especially when working across multiple projects with varying deadlines and dependencies, has been documented perfectly in this book. As a professional managing multiple projects in my career this was a refreshing read, breaking down the plan concept across 5 main areas. Elizabeth's focus on the importance of people, engagement and communication was a pleasure to read, and a must for every project manager out there."

Nicola Graham