Heather NashDirector of PM/PMO| NetforBedford, IN, United States
hey all, looking for some resources. We are structured so that I (the sole PM in our rapidly growing company) do everything from track task progress for all managers (whether part of a "Sponsored project" or not) to managing Programs and projects- Our portfolio consists of traditional chronological checklists, App Dev, internal improvement projects, integrations with client ticketing systems and now AI Product Development. I would love to talk with people who have diverse experience like this and can give recommendations to help me become more effective/efficient. I'm starting to struggle with this wide array of subjects and methodologies. Help! Saving Changes...
This is a situation which many of the folks I've mentored have experienced so let me share a couple of thoughts.
1. Prioritize your focus based on what your leadership team views as being most valuable. Otherwise, it will be easy to get overwhelmed.
2. Introduce the least amount of process & procedures to meet specific delivery or control objectives, and make sure you follow good change management practices when introducing those (e.g. involve impacted stakeholders, communication * 3)
3. Make sure there is a clear understanding of what initiatives are in scope for your role and which are not. This could start by helping leadership to come up with an objective, operational definition for what constitutes a project or a program.
If you feel you might need ongoing mentoring, feel free to reach out to me via a DM, but you might also consider finding a mentor in your local PMI chapter.
Hi Heather,
It is indeed a common problem. I'm somewhat in that situation now and my boss realizes I'm getting spread thin so he has been trying to find people to help me out. That can even involve a bit of horse-trading (I'll do some of your work if you can do some of mine.)
Lacking additional resources, one technique I employ is rather than trying to manage many lists, create one with everything. I started calling mine the One List, and it even caught on. Develop it over time so you can filter it by how you need to use it like type, next due date, performing team, etc. Otherwise I find I keep having to flip back and forth during meetings and there are too many places you can forget to look for all the information.
Between tailoring both the list and the review cadence to your needs (you will not be perfect immediately), I find it easier to conduct well organized reviews and less hassle managing many federated data sources.
Good luck!
Keith
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1 reply by Heather Nash
Feb 05, 2025 9:29 AM
Heather Nash
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Interesting. I can tell you're facing the same issues. We use ClickUp, what tool do you use to help with the One List?
Saving Changes...
Heather NashDirector of PM/PMO| NetforBedford, IN, United States
Feb 04, 2025 6:30 PM
Replying to Keith Novak
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Hi Heather,
It is indeed a common problem. I'm somewhat in that situation now and my boss realizes I'm getting spread thin so he has been trying to find people to help me out. That can even involve a bit of horse-trading (I'll do some of your work if you can do some of mine.)
Lacking additional resources, one technique I employ is rather than trying to manage many lists, create one with everything. I started calling mine the One List, and it even caught on. Develop it over time so you can filter it by how you need to use it like type, next due date, performing team, etc. Otherwise I find I keep having to flip back and forth during meetings and there are too many places you can forget to look for all the information.
Between tailoring both the list and the review cadence to your needs (you will not be perfect immediately), I find it easier to conduct well organized reviews and less hassle managing many federated data sources.
Good luck!
Keith
Interesting. I can tell you're facing the same issues. We use ClickUp, what tool do you use to help with the One List?
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1 reply by Keith Novak
Feb 05, 2025 10:49 PM
Keith Novak
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To be honest, I mostly use Excel but it really depends what tools are available and if I have the time to figure them out.
I haven't found anything I really like for a mixed bag of project types in a single tool, either at the project or portfolio level. You're always trying to force square pegs into round holes. My preference is for flexibility in execution but I still need to establish a working cadence for review and that can prove challenging.
Excel is still the Swiss Army Knife for when you need a working process now, and an IT approval for something better takes weeks. My spreadsheet becomes the minimum viable product until we get a better tool.
Interesting. I can tell you're facing the same issues. We use ClickUp, what tool do you use to help with the One List?
To be honest, I mostly use Excel but it really depends what tools are available and if I have the time to figure them out.
I haven't found anything I really like for a mixed bag of project types in a single tool, either at the project or portfolio level. You're always trying to force square pegs into round holes. My preference is for flexibility in execution but I still need to establish a working cadence for review and that can prove challenging.
Excel is still the Swiss Army Knife for when you need a working process now, and an IT approval for something better takes weeks. My spreadsheet becomes the minimum viable product until we get a better tool. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Heather,
you describe a common problem for the lonely PM in a growing company.
The question of tooling is a low priority, there is no silver bullet, I agree with Keith that Excel is capable of supporting you for most scenarios. Looking for a tool and implementing it would distract you.
You probably risk being overwhelmed by all the good things you should be doing. So, NOT doing things becomes important.
First identify those few people you should help first, the sponsor, CFO, CEO, guy in charge of the most important project. If you establish a project dashboard, it is targeted to provide transparency to C-Suite, not so much for the people in charge of projects.
Second identify the largest pains they have, select max three.
Find solutions and sell them to them, and agree on the benefits you need to deliver. (I once was asked to reduce the time executives need to spend in escalations).
Implement and measure the benefits (nothing else).
Operationalize the solution.
Rinse and repeat.
Quick solutions, refine during operations. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Make it simple. People is performing project management from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed. The only difference is the degree of formality to add when you do that inside a company. And you have to select the way to do that. For example, the PMI way. My recommendation is taking a look to business analysis literature. Saving Changes...
