Every job has its fair share of headaches, but some professions – like project management – seem to have more than others. Project managers are constantly juggling tasks, keeping track of multiple projects and evaluating their team’s performance. Their hands are full and worrying about the outcome is enough to keep them awake at night.
If you’re a project manager, this probably sounds all too familiar. If you’re carrying the stress of project management around with you, even long after you’ve left the office, you have plenty of company. Here are five of the top project management headaches that keep professionals like you up at night.
The Deadline Is Approaching, but You’re Not Ready
Nobody likes to miss a deadline. However, when you’re the project manager, you also shoulder the added responsibility of being the one to communicate missed deadlines to clients, deal with their disappointment and possibly work overtime to save face for the company.
New Projects and Shifting Priorities
Agility is the name of the game in project management. Still, when you’ve invested the time in developing a project timeline and your team is perfectly on task, it’s a major upheaval when a new project comes along that demands priority placement.
You’re Too Busy to Continually Track Team Performance
It’s crucial that project managers have a high degree of trust in their teams. This doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful when you’ve been too busy to keep track of your team and their performance on individual tasks. When your team isn’t using collaboration tools effectively, or you have a few weak links in the communications department, the stress of not knowing can consume you.
Second-Guessing Your Project Management Decisions
Project managers tend to take on the lion’s share of decision making – even when they don’t need to. The problem with being the sole decision maker is it’s isolating and you’re missing the opportunity to bounce ideas off another person and get their input. This is a recipe for second guessing your ability to make effective project management decisions.
Zero Margin of Errors Equals Major Stress
It’s nice when a project has a little breathing room that allows for some flexibility should something go wrong. When a project has zero margin for error, the stress of the “what ifs” build up. What if a team member goes down? What if something comes up that disrupts your meticulous planning? Anything can happen at any time, and high-demand projects create additional worries for project managers.
Fight Job Stressors Today
If project management concerns are keeping you up night, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there’s a solution, and we’re here to provide it. We offer PMO solutions to alleviate the stress, worry and insomnia that comes with project management. Reach out to us at PMO Partners today to learn more.
