By Ellen Mooneyham

Project management is a juggling act, usually with too many balls in the air at once. Whether you are a project manager or a person working on projects we all have similar issues that pop up. Take a minute and catch up on some of our 5 favorite project management stories we found online this week:

1. Is juggling part of the job description?

Project managers handle a range of issues every day. They have to think big picture (where is the project going? what is the timeline?) and day-to-day (managing teams, smoothing over the small crises) on a regular basis. With such a wide range of duties, it’s hard to know exactly which skills to hone and highlight on your resume. Different projects require different skills after all. For example, in the sustainable energy field, solar project management software exists that can make the work of managers a lot easier. This might not always be the case, so depending on what project you want to tackle, you need to know if you have the appropriate skills for it.

 

ProjectTimes website recommends focusing on the following:

  1. Leadership
  2. Resource Management
  3. Communication

 

Check out the full list for more of the must-have project manager skills.

 

2. Making a list and checking it twice…

Sometimes a checklist just doesn’t cut it. In our increasingly busy lives, we’ve turned to apps to help manage our schedules, grocery lists, banking, and bills. Check out Alan Henry’s list of some of the best project management tools that are perfect for both personal and work projects.

 

3. So many tools, so little time.

With all of the new apps arriving in the marketplace each day, it’s hard to select the ones that will work best for your team and project. There’s one common characteristic needed for each project, no matter the size or scope: transparency. Forbes contributor Laura Shin takes the latest project management applications to take so you don’t have to. Read her report here.

 

4. It’s not you, it’s me.

It’s happened to all of us at some point: your relationship with the client or with the delivery organization has gone sour. Maybe communications fell through or the relationship didn’t get off right from the start. Regardless of the status of the relationship, the project must continue. But how?

 

Brad Egeland, contributor to the Project Times, breaks it down into a few easy-to-follow rules:

 

  • Meet face-to-face. Open lines of communication, ask how they think the project is going, what their concerns are.
  • Change the reporting structure. Ask if the current structure is meeting their needs.
  • Get your senior management involved. Be proactive and show the client that you want to fix this relationship.

 

This is just a glimpse of Brad’s advice. Read on to learn how to move forward and leave the bad feelings behind.

 

5. Multitasking is the ultimate balancing act.

Multitasking is the name of the game in project management. Manage your team, your time, your project deadlines, and all within the set confines of the deadline. Usually, project managers are required to lead more than one project, but never more large ones at the same time – right?

 

Occasionally, things don’t go as planned and you’ve ended up with two large, complex projects on your plate. What to do? Don’t worry! Read the CIO list of top tips of how to handle this exact situation.

 

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