1. Project Managers create To Do Lists
Every project manager has to start their day with a To Do List. The reason for a to do list, is to ensure the project manager is prepared for all the tasks to be done for the day. It’s also important for a Project Manager to be able to check off the boxes at the end of the day to see what all was accomplished!
2. Project Managers prioritize the tasks on their To Do List
Project managers need to determine which items on the To Do List are the most important.
Sometimes a project manager may want to prioritize based on how much time it will take to perform the task. It can be nice to mark off some of the smaller tasks from the to do list early in the day.
Other times it may be important to prioritize based on the day’s schedule. For instance, the project manager may need to prepare for a meeting that is scheduled in the morning. This task would need to rise to the top.
There are also times when a project manager prioritizes based on the project stakeholder. Some stakeholders can be very demanding. Getting them taken care of as soon as possible lessens the stress of the day.
3. Project Managers constantly check for project updates
Throughout the day, project managers check all incoming communications to ensure they have the most up to date information as they start the day. This would be emails, voicemails, MS Teams messages, etc.
4. Project Managers are always reviewing their calendars / schedules
Project managers check their calendar for meetings scheduled throughout the day, while also scheduling any new items based on the To Do List and / or updates received.
No matter the method chosen to record the schedule or keep track of tasks, the most important thing is the project managers comfort level with the method being used. Whether it be…
- a journal/planner
- ipad
- phone calendar
- chalk board schedule
- a wall calendar
- post-it note reminders
- or a robust software
Have you ever heard the saying “I have a method to my madness” Yeah, or “organized chaos!” LOL. This speaks directly to all of us Project Managers.
5. Project Managers are responsible for preparing materials for the meetings
Project documentation and material must be sent out to all invitees ahead of the meetings. Project managers set aside time to make copies or distribute in advance of the meeting through email.
While it would be ideal to save paper, a lot of times participants want something they can mark on to take notes or to have for later reference.
The agenda is the 1st document that is reviewed in a project meeting to highlight the objectives of the discussion.
Here is one example an average Agenda Template. The Agenda should be prepared for each of the meetings scheduled for the day. For recurring project meetings it’s good practice to have some of this populated before going into the meeting.
- Column 1 – Last week’s Highlights – Fill this out based on what is known from engaging in discussions throughout the week with the project teams or from the project plan itself. What tasks were completed this past week?
- Column 2 – This week’s objectives – On the project plan, what is on the schedule to be completed this week. This task should be added to the list so it’s easily identified as a topic of discussion and brought to the forefront.
- Column 3 – Updates. This is where the project team will engage in the dialogue of the meeting. They will provide updates on any of the deliverables listed as being completed this week.
- Column 4 – Deadline. For new items discussed, an estimated completion time should be logged
- Column 5 – Are there any known roadblocks keeping the team from accomplishing the task this week by the deadline?
6. Project Managers facilitate a lot of project meetings throughout the day
This is where the Project Manager puts their best smile on and shares the prepared agenda and materials. After going over the agenda, the project manager will facilitate the discussion and encourage collaboration on key topics, action items, tasks, barriers to delivery, etc.
Usually on a typical Corporate Day, a Project Manager could conduct anywhere from 1 – 5 meetings in a day, being anywhere from 30 minutes – 1 hour each.
Taking up this much time meeting participants costs the company quite a bit, considering the hourly wage for each person in the room. So it’s extremely important to make sure the meeting is necessary, the right people are in attendance and it’s a productive use of everyone’s time.
7. Project Managers spend time finalizing meeting minutes and updating project documents
After each meeting, if time allows, the project manager organizes the minutes and makes updates to the project schedule where necessary.
- For each project meeting held today – Organize and document meeting notes. This includes an attendee list so the project manager knows who was present during the discussion. For each of the agenda topics there will be details of what was discussed, any issues uncovered, and action items if applicable.
- Update the project plan if necessary. Dates change all the time on projects. However it’s important to insure there is no downstream effects of the changes. For instance, there could have been a task that fell behind or maybe it finished ahead of schedule. Updating the plan provides a glance of any dependencies that could be impacted should the the task be delayed for any reason. There could also be the case of a deliverable finishing earlier which would allow for a new deliverable to be moved up in the schedule to start earlier than anticipated.
- Add updates to the (RAID), which stands for Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions Log. The RAID Log allows the Project Manager to have oversight into the mitigation planning efforts, as well as highlighting opportunities to engage sponsors for significant barriers and decisions. It’s also a CYA tool for the Project Manager to track when certain risks and/or issues were identified, by who and the decisions on what to do in certain situations. Last thing you want is for someone to question you later on “Who made THAT decision”. You will have it documented.
8. Project managers have to tidy up loose ends at the end of every day
At the end of the day, project managers usually spend an hour or 2 to finish up on all items remaining on the to-do list.
They will review the communication plan to determine who should get the meeting minutes for each project. Then send out the final meeting minutes to everyone according to the communication plan.
They review and respond to emails that may have come in throughout the day.
They also reach out to key contacts to follow up on open items / tasks that may be coming due, if there was no representation in the meeting.
9. Project Managers love to check off completed tasks on their To Do lists
Before closing out the day, Project Managers to back to the To Do List to check off each box for all the tasks completed during the day.
A new To Do List is started for the next day with items that were not completed.
10. Project Managers admire the day’s accomplishments
All Project Managers want to feel the sense of accomplishment by seeing all completed tasks for the today. It’s a feeling of being productive!
Check out my YouTube video on this topic by clicking here.
In this video I share what it's like to be a project manager and their daily activities to keep organized. I've been a project management professional for almost 20 years and these activities are a must.
