Doesn’t matter where any of us stand on the panic spectrum at the moment; I’m sure we can all agree that the reality we’ve been used to has turned into chaos, as the COVID-19 spreads globally.
We’re in a situation that countries are all shutting their borders for the sake of their own people’s safety and well-being, educational institutions are closed, flights are being canceled, many businesses are being severely impacted, the economy is slowing down.
You may not be concerned about catching the virus yourself, but you might be caring for the elderly, and your kids being home for the next month or two, which may potentially affect your work.
However, what you should do as a Project Manager is not to let the current situation to take a toll on you, as well as your professional and personal life. You must keep in mind that you are still responsible for the projects you’re in charge as you were before. Though this may sound even more stressful, we have what we have, and the best we can do right now is finding ways to cope with it and give some helpful tips. So, without further ado, I want to share some of the things that work for me.
- Whether you’re managing one or multiple projects, gather your teams twice a day for a quick assessment; One for planning and the other to go over completed tasks at the end of the day. I also find arranging separate meetings for each project very effective these days. It may seem time-consuming but will keep everyone organized, which is the main goal.
- Create an evaluation board for your projects. Are there any that might slow down? Or even worse, is there a possibility for them to get canceled? The evaluation will keep you on top of things and away from facing unforeseen circumstances. Moreover, it will be easier for you to pick them back up later knowing exactly where you left off and how to prevent such situations from happening again.
- It’s critical to come through these tough times as best as you can; therefore, you must be even more resilient and step into roles that aren’t usually your responsibility, for the benefit of your team, your projects, and the organization you’re working in.
- Being there for your clients: While we may get comfortable with the current situation as most of us are working with Agile methodologies, our clients are more likely to take longer to adapt. Patience is the key! Hence, make sure they can rely on your support, and most importantly, trust you more than ever.
- Keep it positive! :)
