Why is project management so complicated and stressful?

Project management is becoming more and more popular all over the world. Many companies are in need of highly qualified project managers who can manage not only traditional methods but also initiate promising ideas and bring them to life.

Project management deals with constantly changing, rapidly developing industries. Project management is a multifaceted and complex discipline in any field. It is challenging to cover all aspects and predict risks in all areas where traditional methods work.

Therefore, it is almost impossible to take into account almost everything. Or it’s only for real pros. Who is a project manager? Is project management indeed complicated and stressful?

What is Project Management? 

Project management is a series of activities, works, plans, and other tasks, limited in time, resources, and financial terms and aimed at developing and creating a product that has unique features. It helps employees allocate resources correctly, use the necessary project management tools, focus on specific goals, and get the desired result on time. Project management has the following tasks:

• project goal management;
• budget control;
• avoiding unplanned expenses;
• determination of deadlines;
• distribution of tasks between employees;
• installation of responsible persons on the project;
• anticipation of possible risks;
• timely identification of threats;
• control over the project implementation process;
• building effective communication between team members.

Who is a Project Manager?

Tasks, Skills, and Responsibilities 

Project managers are qualified specialists who manage teams and projects in general. They develop a plan, set up project work processes, assemble a team, provide feedback between employees and the customer, and control quality to complete the project on time and within budget.

An experienced, competent project manager owns a system of knowledge in project management in any field of human activity, which aims to obtain a specific and, most importantly, effective result. The project manager profession is one of the few six-figure income jobs.

In the US, the average project manager salary is 82,858$ per year. A project manager’s salary depends on the project’s experience, scope, complexity, and budget. The main task of project managers is to reliably and consistently build the process of organizing work on project implementation.

One of the primary responsibilities of project management is reducing the time it takes to complete tasks, which helps employees understand each other and think in the same categories. Project managers are usually friendly, sociable people who like to attend meetings, communicate with clients, and hold brainstorming sessions.

The stress related to project management

The project management career can be complicated. Project managers are responsible for completing projects on time and within budget. Specialists in this profession often face ill-equipped or limited resources, unrealistic client expectations, and huge, almost impossible to-do lists.

It happens that a company does not appreciate nor understand project managers and does not invest in project performance management, leading to deadline failure.

A project manager’s team can be disorganized due to poor communication skills, making it much more difficult to complete any task. All of the above results in a lot of stress for project managers, which can lead to burnout and zero work-life balance.

According to studies, 27% of workers experience high or very high levels of burnout, which threatens their mental health in the long term.

How to spot the signs of stress 

Stress can manifest itself in many ways, dramatically affecting project managers’ ability to do their job well. According to studies, 83% of US employees suffer from work-related stress.

Employees become irritable and have mood swings, leading to erratic behavior and complete apathy. The project manager in this state begins to simply go with the flow, disputing nothing, to avoid conflicts. This leads to the fact that projects risk being starved of insight, perspective, and critical experience.

Tips for a stressed-out project manager  

At work, project managers must be mobilized; otherwise, they will not be able to concentrate and effectively perform their tasks. But this level of mobilization should not go off scale and develop into stress. The task of project managers is to learn how to manage stress, lessen their cognitive load, and find better ways to reach their goals, as outlined in these articles.

1. Don’t reschedule your day. 

If project managers are constantly under stress at work, they should review the main tasks that need to be completed daily and ensure enough time is allocated for them. Such tasks should be written down in a notebook or diary to be more likely to complete them.

Also, project managers should leave time for unplanned tasks that may arise during the working day and can distract them from work. Often there are situations when many meetings are scheduled, and when something does not go according to plan, the whole day goes to pot.

2. Take time out 

Project managers should reevaluate their workload, understand their stress levels and try to think of ways to alleviate them. You can take a short break, turn off the computer, and walk. A vital stress regulator is vitamin D. Many modern companies realize that employees perform better in an agile work environment.

Studies have shown that 73% want their company to launch a wellness program. Therefore, project managers with stress should still include the time for daily activities in their work routine, whether training, meditation, or just a walk in the fresh air. Don’t feel guilty about taking time off; this will help managers do their jobs better.

3. Boost your resilience 

Preventing the development of stress in project managers will help the development of resilience, which in turn increases the ability to respond to pressure.

For optimistic people, adversity helps them grow as they respond positively and use the experience to grow and learn. Optimism protects against depression, and it’s helpful in tackling burnout.

4. Set your priorities 

During the work day, priorities often depend on the needs of other team members or the approaching deadline. A similar situation develops when a minimum of time is spent on important things, and most energy is spent on secondary activities.

Effective prioritization can change this order, provided that each task the project manager takes on has some significance and secondary actions are not included in the list of essential things.

By prioritizing tasks, managers can radically change the working day to maximize their time in the office and at home.

5. Understand the requirements 

Requirements mean not only user stories or the functional scope of the project. Project managers need to spend some time at the beginning of a project to establish key rules and explain what the client and team expect from them.

If, for example, managers need to submit a weekly status report on a project, make sure to schedule a time each Thursday for this task. This will help you stay one step ahead and free up time for other tasks during the day that may require the involvement of a project manager.

6. Schedule time for exploration/study 

On the Internet, you can find information that Google employees have 20% of their working time for their projects. However, even here, we can talk about approaches to project management and planning time to explore new ideas. Ideas on how to deal with colleagues, clients, and even themselves can help project managers to be more resilient.

Project managers often feel pressure to keep the project and the team together. That’s why developing essential life skills like mindfulness and prioritization is crucial. This can help managers feel better prepared to handle stressful situations.

7. Share the load 

HSE`s study showed that workload is the leading cause of stress in the workplace (44%). Project managers should review their tasks and determine what they can delegate to other team members. Other employees can take on the tasks of a team administrator, namely customer feedback.

Allowing the team to help with some tasks that project managers don’t have enough time to do will help them understand what skills they need to improve.

8. Talk to your boss and team

According to research, 80% of workers in the US said that poor communication within the company causes them stress. If project managers are stressed, it’s essential to talk to executives, as they may not be aware that their employee is having a hard time. There is nothing wrong with a manager voicing concerns about a project to the boss.

Frank and open conversations will help identify problems colleagues do not know about. This will allow project managers and their teams to see how to manage things better. Delegating, collaborating, and sharing the load with other project managers and colleagues is vital.

Conclusion 

Undoubtedly, the profession of a project manager is quite complicated and stressful. Stress is constantly present in the life of a modern person, so there is a danger that it will become familiar and invisible.

Over the past few years, project managers have faced an ever-increasing workload. Projects can fail for various reasons. But remember that stress resistance is an important factor for a leader.

A study by professional services firm Deloitte found that only 76% of managers believe that the well-being of their team is their responsibility. Project managers are constantly in contact with people, putting out local and personal fires within the team. They need to improve not only their own stress resistance but also their colleagues on the project.

First published on April 10, 2023.