Chapter FourChapter FourManagement of Your Management of Your

Time and StressTime and Stress

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It is often said that if the project manager cannot control his own time, then he will control nothing else on the project.

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Time Robbers

1. The most challenging problem facing the project manager is his inability to say no.

2. Poor communication

3. Lack of information

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Time Robbers

Too many meetings Unclear objectives and project

scope Work overload Company politics

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Time Robbers

Too many people involved in minor decision making

Lack of authorization Shifting priorities Failure to delegate, or unwise

delegation 5

Time Robbers

Changes without explanation Waiting for people Executive interference Excessive paperwork

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The consequence of these robbers of time is a reduction in the working day for you and your team.

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Consider the situation in which an employee comes into your office with a problem. The employee may be sincere when he says that he simply wants your advice but often the employee want to take the monkey off of his back and put it onto yours. The employee’s problem is now your your problem.

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To handle such situations: FirstFirst, screen out the problems with

which you do not wish to get involved.

SecondSecond, if the situation does not necessitate your involvement, then you must make sure that when the employee leaves your office, he realizes that the problem is still his, not yours.

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To handle such situations: ThirdThird, if you find that the problem

will require your continued attention, remind the employee that all future decisions will be joint decisions and the problem will still be on the employee’s shoulders. Once employees realize that they cannot put their problems on your shoulders, they learn how to make their own decisions. 10

Time Management Forms

There are two basic forms that managers can use for practicing better time management: ““To-do pad”To-do pad” ““Daily Calendar Log” Daily Calendar Log”

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““To-do pad”To-do pad”

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““Daily Calendar Log”Daily Calendar Log”

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Time Management Forms

The manager or the secretary prepares the list of things to do.

The manager then decides which activities he must perform himself and assigns the appropriate priorities.

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Time Management Forms

The activities with the highest priorities are then transformed to the “daily calendar log.”

The manager assigns the activities to the appropriate time blocks based on his own energy cycle. 15

Time Management Forms

Unfilled time blocks are then used for unexpected crises or for lower-priority activities.

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Effective Time Management

Use your time effectively by:1. Allocating work clearly to

the team members2. Delegating some of your

authority where and when appropriate

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Effective Time Management

3. Consulting as required, but taking decisions promptly and explaining them.

4. Avoiding unnecessary memos 5. Setting a fixed agenda for

meetings

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Effective Time Management

6. Setting your own priorities and generally sticking to them.

7. Refusing to do the unimportant

8. Doing the difficult tasks first

9. Not holding meetings for the sake of getting together – having a clear purpose.

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Stress and Burnout

Project managers are subject to stress due to different facets of their jobs: Being Tired.Being Tired. Being tired is a result of

being drained of strength and energy, perhaps through physical exertion, boredom, or impatience. • Typical causes : meetings, report

writing, and other forms of document preparation.

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Stress and Burnout

Feeling depressed.Feeling depressed. Feeling depressed is an emotional condition due to discouragement or a feeling of inadequacy. • It is usually the result of a situation

that is beyond the control or capabilities of the project manager.

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Stress and Burnout

• Management or client considers your report unacceptable, you are unable to get timely resources, the technology is not available, or the constraints of the project are unrealistic and may not be met.

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Stress and Burnout

Feeling rejected. Feeling rejected can be the result of a poor working relationship with executives, line managers, or clients. • Rejection occurs when people with

authority feel that their options or opinions are better than those of the project manager. 23

Stress and Burnout

Feeling worthless.Feeling worthless. Feeling worthless implies that one is without worth, that is valueless. • This situation occurs when project mangers feel that they are managing project beneath their dignity.

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Stress and Burnout

Feeling trapped.Feeling trapped. The most common situation where project manager feel trapped is when they have no control over the assigned resources on the project and feel as if they are at the mercy of line managers. • Employees favor the manager with

reward power, and that is usually line manager.

• Remedy is to provide project manager with reward power.

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Stress and Burnout

Being physically and Being physically and emotionally exhausted.emotionally exhausted. Project mangers are both managers and doers. It is quite common for project managers to perform a great deal of the work themselves. • The most common cause of

emotional exhaustion is report writing. 26

Stress and Burnout

Burned out.Burned out. Being burned out implies that one is totally exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and that rest, recuperation, or vacation time may not remedy the situation. • The most common cause is

prolonged overtime, or inability to work under continuous pressure and stress. 27

Stress and Burnout

Stress is not always negative, however. Without certain amounts of stress, reports would never get written, deadlines would never be met, and no one would even get to work on time.

But stress can result in illness and even disease, and must be managed if it is to be controlled and utilized for constructive purposes. 28

Stress and Burnout

Stress become detrimental when it is prolonged beyond what an individual can comfortably handle.

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