Project management is always hectic so careful Stress Management can really help. Projects require great attention to detail, regardless of how much is happening. This means that project management can be very stressful. This can be made worse but lack of attention to detail, as even more pressure occurs when unforeseen issues need to be sorted out.
The following ideas combine the outputs of several training workshops with project managers to help Stress Management, so may give you some useful suggestions. They may be culture-dependent, but still worth consideration in your environment. Good luck!
COMMUNICATIONS for Stress Management
- Communicate any progress to stakeholders ASAP (as soon as possible).
- Use clear communication to align all stakeholders (this is not just “management” but everybody affected by a project).
- Use informal meetings to clarify issues, then follow up with written confirmation.
- Book meetings in the calendar, e.g. with Outlook, so that everybody has the same information. Or use Doodle to poll for meeting times, including time zone corrections.
- Definition: Expectation vs. Scope.
- Agree a team rule to communicate delays ASAP, not just hoping that the problem will go away.
- Restructure or reorganise a project, if the deadline is not going to be met.
- Manage or even change expectations.
- Support a culture of open communications.
PLANNING for Stress Management
- Discuss your ideas, then put them on paper for communication.
- When given a new assignment, don’t just say “yes” and start but ask questions to clarify what is requested.
- Take the necessary time to develop your action plan.
- Delegate but be prepared to take control when necessary.
- Develop a solid plan and anticipate issues.
- Be realistic with timing estimates.
- Assess risks and implement actions for the more important ones.
- Make and document your assumptions, then check them with the stakeholders. This allows progress, even before getting final clarification of details.
- Prioritise actions on the critical path.
- Develop Team skills and team spirit.
- Set expectations and priorities.
- Develop a well defined scope and challenge unrealistic expectations => Well defined project plans with realistic deadlines & resource allocation = Achievable.
- Make decisions (avoid time waste).
- Have Contingency Plans to deal with unexpected situations.
PERSONAL SKILLS for Stress Management
- Don’t get panicked.
- Stay organized.
- Trust your team and colleagues.
- Have a positive attitude.
- Clearly identify reasons or sources of stress.
- Take a break or a day off.
- Engage in Sport.
- Turn off email and other notifications.
In the modern world, the optimal solution may not be traditional face-to-face training that everybody likes and finds very effective, but virtual training. Please help us to rank our list of virtual training features: Can Virtual Training replace traditional events? (5 minute survey)
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