TOP 5 WAYS TO INCREASE

YOUR PRODUCTIVITY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Productivity is based on how efficient one is with their work . It is measured as the total amount of output with per unit of input . A profitable organization requires employees and tools that are productive and can give optimum output . Productivity is not just about volume . Of course ! Every organization aims to produce a good volume of output but without compromising on the quality of the product . In today’s times, almost every organization has a project team . The project manager is responsible for successful projects that will boost productivity and quality of an organizations products and/or services .
An organization assigns projects to the project management team to improve productivity and create a profitable outcome . A project manager is responsible for project planning, defining the objectives of a project, procurement, execution, and the outcome of the project . A project manager must possess specific skills to be successful in his / her role .

1. Leadership – A project manager has to manage and lead his / her team . They have to ensure their team follows guidelines and instructions at every step of the project . The success of a project is completely depended on how well a project manager leads his/her team .

2. Critical Thinking and Negotiation – There will always be conflicts when running a project and while leading a team of people . A project manager should be good at critical thinking to negotiate and evaluate a situation positively . Critical thinking is important to negotiate and come up with a win-win situation to resolve conflicts .

3. Communication – A project manager has to communicate on a daily basis with vendors, stakeholders, team members, clients and almost everyone involved in the project . A project manager has to communicate through various modes of communication . They have to reply and send emails and communicate verbally with his team members by giving them guidance and instructions . A project manager has to present the growth and status of the project through PowerPoint presentations or graphic presentations . Besides giving out information, a project manager has to actively listen to his team members, clients, and vendors . If a project manager doesn’t communicate effectively, there will be miscommunication which will lead to failure of the project .

4. Cost Management – A project manager should be good at handling budgets . A project manager should have the skill to manage the cost and not go overboard with managing expenses . The planning of a project includes planning of a budget . If a project manager fails to plan the budget accurately, the whole project can fail miserably .

5. Risk Management – A project has to be planned well . While planning, a project manager should be able to identify the risks involved in a project . Also, they should be able to address the risks whenever one arises . If a project manager fails to assess potential risks or control them, the project may face adverse effect or may not get completed on time .
These skills are required by all project managers to successfully handle projects . Besides having these skills, a project manager must plan his/her day effectively to increase productivity . To be productive, a project manager should :

1. Keep a track of tasks – A project manager should plan his day ahead . He/she should allow time for each task . Also, they should keep a track so that they don’t spend too much time on a particular task .

2. Prioritize work – Prioritize work according to their importance . Start with most important work and eventually take up the least important work towards the end of the day . In the morning, when you’re fresh, you can concentrate better and finish important work within the stipulated time . Once all the important tasks are completed, you won’t feel stressed or worried through the second half of the day .

3. Speed Reading – A project manager receives a very good number of emails from clients, vendors, stakeholders, superiors and team members . Not only emails, but a project manager also has to go through presentations, read legal documents and other documents related to the project . If the project manager is an average reader, it will affect the efficiency of work . An average reader reads around 250 words per minute . A project manager must read at a faster rate to finish reading emails and other documents quickly and focus on other important tasks at hand . A project manager should be able to read 400 to 1200 words per minute . To read at a faster pace, a project manager should follow the below :

a. Avoid sub-vocalization – Avoid reading each word in your head . Whenever you read, observe how you read . Even though you’re not moving your lips while reading you read every word in your head this is called sub – vocalization . Read in groups, for e.g. read 3 to 4 words in groups or just glance through the sentences . When you just run your eyes through the documents or emails, you will read faster and spend lesser time reading .

b. Avoid eye regression – When you move your eyes back and forth while reading, it is called eye regression . We go back and forth while reading ; when we feel we have misread something or missed to read a sentence or line . To overcome this problem, keep a book or cover over what you have already read . Continue to cover the sentence as you read further and you will not miss reading a line or sentence . You will concentrate more on your reading and will be able to comprehend better .

c. Use a pointer or finger – When you’re reading keep your index finger or pen below the word that you are reading . As you read further, slide the finger or pen below what you ’re reading . This will help you to concentrate on what you’re reading and you will not miss a line or sentence while reading .

d. Skimming and scanning – Skimming is reading the first and last line of a paragraph and then just going through the rest of the paragraph to look for keywords, dates or any other relevant information . The first and last line of the paragraph will introduce and give you a summary of what the paragraph is all about and glancing through the rest of the paragraph will tell you what the paragraph is all about .

4. Take a break – To be productive and efficient, it is important to take a break. If you work without taking a break, it will wear you out and you won’t be able to think as creatively and quickly as you could at the beginning of your shift .

5. Rest and sleep – If you don’t sleep well, you will feel tired and worn out in the morning . To feel fresh, it is important to get at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep . A night of good sleep is dependent on a good mattress and pillow . If the mattress and pillow are not firm and comfortable, you will not be able to sleep well . You will end up waking a number of times and will feel tired and worn out . Do invest in a good mattress and pillow and enjoy a good night ‘s sleep to wake up healthy and fresh to take on any challenges throughout the day .

Conclusion

A project manager is responsible for the success and failure of a project. He / she has to look at everything from planning to execution to the closure of a project . A project manager without key skills will fail . It is important that a project manager works on his / her skills and keep themselves updated with new skills .