Paolo CornaliProject Manager| HTA srlBrescia, Lombardia, Italy
Jan 26, 2016 7:34 AM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
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My rule of thumb, Paolo, is up to the point I am fully allocated. I would rather 7 projects that keep me 84% busy than a single project that keeps me 100% busy.
The reason? By having a bit of "bench", it allows me to react quickly as necessary. If you're head down all the time, it's difficult to to manage events happening around you.
I am currently up to five projects. Two of them take less than 10% of my time, each, and the top two take 25%, each. I still have some room to manoeuvre.
I agree with you Stephane, anyway in the workload evaluation should be considered the inefficiency added by switching the mind from one project to another. IMHO,this inefficiency can become very important when you manage multiple projects. Saving Changes...
Paolo CornaliProject Manager| HTA srlBrescia, Lombardia, Italy
Jan 26, 2016 8:52 AM
Replying to Philippe Schuler
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I am in agreement with all of you. Complexity, workload are key criteria to decide wether or not to accept more than one project to manage (of course if your organization leaves you the choice!!). I would add an another criteria I have always considered since I have got the necessary experience and maturity to manage multiple projects (no more than 3) at the same time: never accept to manage projects that are in the same state. For example you can start Project 3 if Project 1 is in the Closing phase and Project 2 is in "cruise" execution mode. But it can be a nightmare if you have for example to launch 2 projects at the same time.
I totally agree with you Philippe, in fact now I am managing 7 projects: 1 in closing state, 2 in execution state and 4 in planning state and in particular these last 4 are very difficult to manage effectively considering also that all the projects share the same resources.
Probably now I am more a jack of all trades than a PM as Mounir said. Saving Changes...
Markus KopkoAI Enabler for Project & Program Mgmt | Founder PMotion.ai / The PM
AI Coach| PMotion.aiHamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Jan 26, 2016 3:45 AM
Replying to Suhail Iqbal
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If you say effectively then only ONE.
if we talking about real projects, than i do fully agree here
(nowadays it seems that everything is a project and everyone is a project manager ...) Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
In an organization where well stablish project management discipline is in place a project manager spend 20% or work time managing a project. So, we can say that you can manage 5 projects at the same time. When you see that 100% of project management work time is assigned to one project then somethig does not work inside the organization. Unfortunatelly, I have lived this lot of times. Here comes a lot of considerations (I am working inside a hugh organization trying to implement project management discipline from 5 years ago. I am supervising the critical programs with have 60% of Latin America budged assigned). The first one is: are you working as project manager? When you answer this question you will find that you have the role and the role name assigned but you are a project coordinator or leader so forget about to spend 20% of time only. Are you making micro management? Most of the times your answer will be "yes" and most of this time it is not because you want it is because organizational culture demmnads. So, if micro management, forget about to spend 20% time only. And so on
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1 reply by Paolo Cornali
Jan 28, 2016 12:16 AM
Paolo Cornali
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Thank you for your considerations Sergio.
Saving Changes...
Paolo CornaliProject Manager| HTA srlBrescia, Lombardia, Italy
Jan 27, 2016 9:24 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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In an organization where well stablish project management discipline is in place a project manager spend 20% or work time managing a project. So, we can say that you can manage 5 projects at the same time. When you see that 100% of project management work time is assigned to one project then somethig does not work inside the organization. Unfortunatelly, I have lived this lot of times. Here comes a lot of considerations (I am working inside a hugh organization trying to implement project management discipline from 5 years ago. I am supervising the critical programs with have 60% of Latin America budged assigned). The first one is: are you working as project manager? When you answer this question you will find that you have the role and the role name assigned but you are a project coordinator or leader so forget about to spend 20% of time only. Are you making micro management? Most of the times your answer will be "yes" and most of this time it is not because you want it is because organizational culture demmnads. So, if micro management, forget about to spend 20% time only. And so on
Thank you for your considerations Sergio. Saving Changes...
Tiago MateusSenior PM | Author of the book "Project Your Life"| Volkswagen Financial ServicesPortugal
Difficult to answer because it depends of so much criteria (size definition, local vs. international, stakeholders, team, ...).
small -> 3x (between 0,5 and 1 Mio€)
medium -> 2x (between 1 and 5 Mio€)
big -> 1x ( > 5 Mio€) Saving Changes...
Julia CunninghamManager Project Management| BattelleRichland, Wa, United States
The number of projects managed successfully at a given time has been highly varied based upon a combination of project attributes (value, risk, visibility) and the dreaded volume of "ancillary duties as assigned".
I have had dozens of small projects (~$100K US/each), a solid handful of medium projects (~$500K - $2M/each), to a single multi-million while serving as line manager for a group of staff doing different work scope. That wasn't a terribly effective period of time, and both the project and staff were underserved. Saving Changes...
Dr. Shyam Sundar BDirector - Strategic Management | Global Governance, Risk and Compliance| Service Global IncCoimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
I am handling 35+ projects. Really nightmare. But no other choice as the organizations need of the hour. Hence interim , i am handling such a large number.Spending 12+ hrs a day.But no micro management. Saving Changes...
Janice GrierSenior Technical Vendor Manager| ATTShelby Township, Mi, United States
This year I had 466 projects (ea, with separate project #) for a specific submarket. However, there are 3 PM's each handling part of the project (1 for financials, 1 for construction, 1 for integration/optimization/launch)/ It requires effective communication and coordination but we have been successful as of the time of this email I have 2 projects remaining for the year expecting to complete next week Saving Changes...
Anish AbrahamPrivacy Program Manager| University of WashingtonAuburn, Wa, United States
Currently I'm managing 2 projects, one is long term and the other one is short term. I think it all depends on your skills, complexity of the project and organizational culture. Saving Changes...
