Do you Need to be a Good Multi-Tasker to be a Great Project Manager?
Many feel that multi-tasking is the only way to work nowadays. They feel that in order to operate at peak performance you need to have 3 - 4 instant message conversations going, a phone in each ear, actively engage in multiple e-mail threads, and run a webinar all at the same time!
I used to feel that way, but I don’t anymore. I’ve found that it’s better to FOCUS and do a couple of things very well rather than multi-task and do a whole lot of things poorly. I’ve also found that the same amount of work gets done; it’s just better when I put blinders on and consciously keep distractions at bay.
What are your thoughts on multi-tasking? Is it necessary to do your job as a Project Manager? Or, is it something we inflict upon ourselves? What are some ways you found to effectively FOCUS on the task at hand and keeping distractions and interruptions down to a minimum? Saving Changes...
Ahmad YahyaCEO| ADAM - Agile Digital Assistant for ManagersPutrajaya, Malaysia
As a PM, you are expected to be a multi-task, go-getter type of person. At least, this is what your superior is expecting. While you may have many things being put onto your lap, a good PM must be able to sense and prioritize of what is the most important and urgent tasks at hand. Having a good planning tool will aid the PM to achieve this together with a good negotiation skill will help bring more focus and direct the project. Saving Changes...
It is all about priorities! focusing and achieving - moving the project forward by deciding what is next on the high priority list of tasks\plan. My motto is Do it Right and Do it Once ! Saving Changes...
Neville TurbitDirector| Project Perfect.com.auAbbotsford, Nsw, Australia
Time magazine did a cover story a few years back on multi-tasking. Basically they said it was an inefficient way to work. We at Project Perfect wrote a white paper on multi-tasking in projects which built on the scientific results in the Time article. To read it follow this link.
http://www.projectperfect.com.au/white-pap...mutitasking.php Saving Changes...
David GradyIT Project Manager| DISH NetworkHonolulu, Hi, United States
As project managers, we tend to work in "the world as it is" while endeavoring to make it the world we'd like it to be. As such, I need to multitask in order to be flexible to the needs of my team. While one worker may be temporarily tied up, I communicate with two others who are available. While undivided attention is always preferable, it is not always possible. Saving Changes...
Linda HillProgram Manager| MicrosoftRenton, Wa, United States
I agree David, we don't live in a perfect world. Saving Changes...
Good article that Neville linked to, thank-you Neville! Could be sub-titled "how to multi-task without really multi-tasking". His example works best if you can control your interruptions.
A few years back we had a speaker at our local PMI chapter on the topic; he was able to show through a simple exercise that doing two activities simultaneously took quite a bit longer than doing them sequentially. He even suggested that if you were a software developer working on a project, and you had to wait a couple of days for someone's input while you were in the middle of your task, that you don't start on another task or project.
But, alas, as other posts have suggested, it is rare that you can completely control your day, but with the suggestions in the linked-to paper above, there is opportunity to improve. Saving Changes...
Randa SpellerMarketing Specialist / Chair PM Community of Practice| Union Gas Limited; EnbridgeChatham, Ontario, Canada
Interesting post, and equally interesting responses. I'm finding that what I used to think of as multi-tasking has become a series of short duration, high intensity focus periods. Because I have so many projects on the go at any one point in time, I find that if I can make a list of what I need to accomplish in a day and then fully focus on one at a time for brief periods, I can get it all done. Saving Changes...
Matthew SmithProject Management Consultant| Risk and Project ManagementQueanbeyan, Australia
Great question Jennifer. I agree with Ahmad. It's generally expected that a PM will be able to multitask. Multitasking is part and parcel of of a body of work that has multiple issues and risks to be managed. And let's face it. It probably wouldn't be a project if it didn't. Saving Changes...
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