Managing Multiple Projects & Time While Maintaining Your Sanity Have you prepared yourself for this presentation? Howard Schultz, MSW Executive Director

Managing Multiple Projects & Time While Maintaining Your Sanity

Have you prepared yourself for this presentation?

Howard Schultz, MSW

Executive Director

Jewish Family Service


I have higher expectations than this!


1) Time Management is Stress Management

Separate anxiety about the project as a whole (the guts of what it is you are trying to accomplish) from worrying about how it is getting it done.

For you social workers… separate content from process

Separate anxiety about the project as a whole (the guts of what it is you are trying to accomplish) from worrying about how it is getting it done.

For you social workers… separate content from process

Worry only about what you can actually affect. Don’t waste energy (angst) on things you can do nothing about

Worry only about what you can actually affect. Don’t waste energy (angst) on things you can do nothing about

Anxiety feeds on itself—stop worrying about how much you are worrying about things.

Anxiety feeds on itself—stop worrying about how much you are worrying about things.


No one wants my input anyway

Don’t assume the worst or allege intent—

•CHECK THINGS OUT

Don’t assume the worst or allege intent—

•CHECK THINGS OUT

We can’t do that! We’ve never done it that way

We can’t spend any money My plan is going to be shot down anyway

What I do doesn’t really matter because someone else will just change it anyway


Establish a trustful relationship with your supervisor and be transparent

Follow instructions and seek priority decision making help and guidance

Don’t own problems or good news all by yourself

Schedule decision making and planning time

Schedule and take your vacation. If necessary engage your supervisor to help you prioritize or delegate your work so you can take your time off

Have faith in an open decision making process.

Establish a trustful relationship with your supervisor and be transparent

Follow instructions and seek priority decision making help and guidance

Don’t own problems or good news all by yourself

Schedule decision making and planning time

Schedule and take your vacation. If necessary engage your supervisor to help you prioritize or delegate your work so you can take your time off

Have faith in an open decision making process.

Share the news—good and badShare the news—good and bad

IOAJ---It’s Only A Job. Don’t take your baggage home. (and don’t bring problems from home in)

IOAJ---It’s Only A Job. Don’t take your baggage home. (and don’t bring problems from home in)


2) Understand the Project Completely

What’s the goal of the project?What’s the goal of the project?

Understand the big picture and little pictureUnderstand the big picture and little picture

The 5 W’s + H

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?

Recognize potential conflicts, obstacles, or competing priorities

Apply a What If… philosophy


Applying What If scenarios…Applying What If scenarios…

What resources would be necessary to succeed, if they could be made available?

•Alternatives to the initial plan

•“Buying Time”

•Delegating to others

•Hiring more staff

•Re-prioritizing other projects

•Engaging new partners or co-sponsors

•Changing venues

•Changing goals

•Changing projects


3. Working Out a Game Plan

Saves time overall

Reduces anxiety

Allows opportunity to involve others and get help

Shares the “pain” when necessary

Avoids overflow and overload

Provides steps to check the plan as you proceed

Avoid the trap: “I don’t have time to plan anything, I will just squeeze it in somehow”

Avoid the trap: “I don’t have time to plan anything, I will just squeeze it in somehow”

You will make up planning time in efficiency, more help, better results, and less stress

You will make up planning time in efficiency, more help, better results, and less stress


4) Time is Relative Not Linear

Think of time like cash flow. You don’t need to have all the money in hand to buy a house or lease a car, just the ability to manage your debt through cash flow for the period of time you own it. Time is similar. Learn to handle the time you need for the projects you are managing.

Think of time like cash flow. You don’t need to have all the money in hand to buy a house or lease a car, just the ability to manage your debt through cash flow for the period of time you own it. Time is similar. Learn to handle the time you need for the projects you are managing.

Time can be managed. Think about money…Time can be managed. Think about money…

Break down the project into identifiable components—layer each into the Flow to make the picture work out.

Break down the project into identifiable components—layer each into the Flow to make the picture work out.

Think of the components of a project as a series of events that can be orchestrated around both flexible and fixed situations to create a

Project Flow

Think of the components of a project as a series of events that can be orchestrated around both flexible and fixed situations to create a

Project Flow


Speaking of Time…


5. Methods of Project Time Management

A) Straight Line: Easy to see the path, no conflicting issues

Beginning End

B) Managing Obstacles: Knowing where the end is but needing to avoid obstacles to progress

Beginning x xxxxEnd

xxx xx


C) Component Management with resultant end: if you complete all the components, the end will result—order doesn’t really matter

Beginning End

D) Leapfrog: With a deadline established, implementing plans based upon the facts you know at the time, even if you don’t have everything lined up

Beginning 1) 2) 4) 5) 3) End

Match the method to the project and the other competing priorities and available resources


6. Balancing Conflicting Projects

Resolve the conflict using agency priority as a guidepost

Don’t own the angst of choice by yourself

Request guidance from supervisor or administration on what should be done first, and what can be delayed or put off if necessary

Be realistic about the time needed to complete a project

When asking for guidance, communicate fully about ALL the responsibilities you have that are affecting your time. Give your supervisor a clear picture so she/he can give you the best guidance.

Don’t arbitrarily drop “stuff”. Consider what or who will be affected by a decision to change priorities or working order


Think about who else may be affected by your actions or lack of action, i.e.

Because of a time crunch…

calls don’t get made that others were counting on

thank you letters don’t go out when necessary

money isn’t processed immediately and deposited

Call backs don’t happen quickly enough

Surprises happen….


7. Tools (physical)

•AOAO (Assets, Obstacles, Allies, Opportunities) similar to SWOT analysis

•Schedule your time to include planning time, budget time, paperwork, etc., and stick to it

•Tickler File

•Palm Pilot/synch to calendar, Franklin Planner, etc.

•Red Flag/Good News Form

•Secretarial help

•Simple Lists which you continually re-prioritize

•Bedside lists

•AOAO (Assets, Obstacles, Allies, Opportunities) similar to SWOT analysis

•Schedule your time to include planning time, budget time, paperwork, etc., and stick to it

•Tickler File

•Palm Pilot/synch to calendar, Franklin Planner, etc.

•Red Flag/Good News Form

•Secretarial help

•Simple Lists which you continually re-prioritize

•Bedside lists


Mental Tools

•Adopting a “What If” philosophy

•Developing good “peripheral vision”—an ability to see other factors, opportunities, or challenges that may develop with each particular action you take

•The James Lang Theory

•Recognize your “tells” of anxiety and do something about it.

•Adopting a “What If” philosophy

•Developing good “peripheral vision”—an ability to see other factors, opportunities, or challenges that may develop with each particular action you take

•The James Lang Theory

•Recognize your “tells” of anxiety and do something about it.


8) Top Ten Traps to Avoid Talking Yourself Into…I don’t have time

I can’t handle another thing

That Never works

We’ve always (or never) done it that way

Out of sight out of mind (or maybe they forgot)

We can’t spend any money on this

It’s not my job

It’s faster for me to just do it myself

I can’t spend the time to train or look for volunteers, they will only get in the way.

Howard wouldn’t like it!


Having help isn’t always this bad…


9. Prioritizing a Busy List

Understand the relative value/hassle of each item on your list

Respond quickly to “low hanging fruit”

Seemingly unimportant items to you may be burning issues for someone else. If you can do them quickly you create a much bigger level of success—bonus points

Be aware of pre-requisites or “building blocks”—items that cannot be accomplished without other things happening as well

ASK FOR HELP!

Understand the relative value/hassle of each item on your list

Respond quickly to “low hanging fruit”

Seemingly unimportant items to you may be burning issues for someone else. If you can do them quickly you create a much bigger level of success—bonus points

Be aware of pre-requisites or “building blocks”—items that cannot be accomplished without other things happening as well

ASK FOR HELP!


10. Crisis Management

Keep cool and level headed

Make the best of a bad situation

Turn adversity into opportunity

Be “agile”

Keep cool and level headed

Make the best of a bad situation

Turn adversity into opportunity

Be “agile”


The End.

Thank You For Your Attention

Change would do you good

Documents

Managing Multiple Projects & Time While Maintaining Your Sanity Have you prepared yourself for this presentation? Howard Schultz, MSW Executive Director