As a project manager, I always have a lot on my plate. From developing and executing sales and marketing campaigns to answering questions from my team members, I know just how challenging it can be to manage all the roles we project managers have to take on to get the job done. If I’m not careful, I can easily lose track of everything that needs to get done or run out of time to take care of the items on my own checklist.
If you’re a project manager or someone who assumes the role in your business, you are probably in the same boat. When you have to wear many hats, it can be hard to find the time to handle all your tasks and projects. Tackling multiple roles can be stressful, and you do not want to crumble under the pressure or drop the ball when it comes to completing important tasks.
Here are my top four project management tips that will help you balance all of your roles within your business:
1. Implement a plan of action
Let’s get one thing straight. You will not be an effective project manager if you are not able to create and execute a plan to get your tasks done. When you have to take on several roles, you must plan carefully and think critically. If you want to have a successful campaign, you need to develop and implement a plan of action.
Get to know all of your marketing team members and learn their individual strengths. Assign roles to each member of your team according to these strengths and make sure they understand their responsibilities. Let your team know the capacity in which you will help them with their marketing work, and empower them to find solutions and handle outside situations on their own. Because you will not constantly be addressing issues that are not your responsibility, you will have time to focus on your own checklist.
2. Create a schedule
Decide what you want to accomplish each day, and organize your schedule based on each tasks’ importance. Make sure to prioritize time-sensitive projects. Do not forget to budget time to meet with your marketing team and to oversee your marketing campaign throughout all of its phases.
Even when you enable your team to help you complete your project, you will still be busy handling everything else on your plate. Creating a schedule will help you manage all these roles and ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Try using marketing project management software to develop a marketing calendar. A marketing calendar can help you plan out how you will manage marketing activities you need to accomplish throughout your campaign.
When you have several roles to juggle, a clear schedule can make things a lot easier.
3. Utilize your team
In addition to using your team for plan execution, you should also be willing to use them as a sounding board. As a project manager, you are responsible for making several decisions and taking care of several other responsibilities. Your marketing team members can provide the input and insight you need to lead effectively.
Don’t feel like you always have to come up with a solution and tackle every problem on your own. You have a capable team that can pitch ideas, point out mistakes, and help you stay on track. Use feedback from your team to make sure you are heading in the right direction and successfully managing all of your roles.
4. Stay flexible
No matter how carefully you develop your schedule, there will always be the potential for unforeseen circumstances to get in the way of your project. Allocate extra time within your schedule to help manage these setbacks, and do not be afraid to reevaluate your plan or your marketing calendar. Ask your team to help handle these situations so that your project can continue to run smoothly.
When you are flexible, you ensure that your project will not fall apart just because you receive an extra task or your original plan needs to change. When you have several hats to wear, flexibility is a must.
At Hatchet, we not only provide a customized sales and marketing strategy for your business, but we also help set timelines, implement and track your strategy to ensure its success. We believe working hand-in-hand with our clients is the best way to build a trusted and successful partnership. If you’re ready to start a conversation about how Hatchet can aggressively go after your business goals, contact us today.