On the majority of projects there comes a point where things start to get busy and stressful. Even for the most highly organised people, our to-do lists keep getting longer, our inboxes keep filling up with unread emails and it can feel like every week there is a new critical path deadline that has to be hit. It can be exhilarating. But it can also be exhausting.
It is the nature of the projects profession that we go through fast paced, stressful periods like this. Chances are that you have experienced this pressure point on past projects and that you will experience it again on future projects. So if most projects go through similar times of high intensity, how can we equip ourselves better for the next time we encounter it? How can we manage to keep calm amidst the chaos so we can successfully keep our teams and projects moving forwards productively?
Here are a few suggestions.
Remember the big picture
As our to-do lists get longer, it can be easy to lose sight of where a project is actually heading. This can add lots of extra pressure and distract from the end goal. Remember to periodically return to the brief and vision for the project and ask – is what I am doing serving the overall project goal?
Apply the 80:20 rule
Remember that some tasks have high impact for low effort/time input. Review your action list not just by criticality but also by impact. Remember that any construction project is a team game, so prioritise actions that will get others moving. This will prevent you from becoming an unnecessary bottleneck and minimise you creating pressure and stress for your team members.
Time block your day
When things get busy do not be afraid to micro manage your own time. Go through your to-do list, figure out how long high priority items will take and then put these tasks in your diary as if they were a meeting. Time blocking your calendar can help keep you accountable for moving through your to-do list without getting distracted or bogged down in detail. It will help keep increase accountability of your time.
Use technology wisely
Have an urgent report to write? Turn off your phone and shut down your emails until you have completed it. Have an important call to make? Find a meeting room for yourself and leave distractions outside. Need to get a critical task on site completed? Review your resource schedule and consider reallocating qualified people to accelerate progress.
Revisit your meeting schedule and project tools
Ask if these are best serving the project and the team and if not, review, revise and condense. A tool or meeting is only useful if it is helping to move the team and project forward. If it is not working, scrap it. Do not make work for work’s sake.
Ask for help
Having too much on our plates for too long can be detrimental to our health. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or your work is negatively impacting your personal life, do not be afraid to ask for help. I promise you that support is available, you just need to ask for it in the right place.
Our Projects needs more leaders who are skilled in steering a ship through a storm. We need people who are safe, reliable pairs of hands that can observe, analyse and act in a calm, rational and methodical manner. We need to remember that for a team to succeed in the long term, looking after our physical and mental health during peak periods of stress should always be the priority. After all, we all want and deserve long, healthy and happy careers in this complex and fascinating industry we work in.
Being able to stay calm is a skill that takes time and practice to manage. Try out different techniques to learn what works best for you. If you can crack the code and learn how to stay calm amidst chaos you that your projects will benefit, your teams will benefit and, most importantly, you will benefit.