In my last article, I talked about the main organizational differences between small and large contractors. In case you missed it, check it out here.

As I mentioned, larger contractors tend to avoid having their PMs manage multiple projects unless they have the support structure to do so. On the other hand, smaller contractors tend to take the opposite approach, where emphasis is placed on winning more projects to increase revenue, regardless of their workload.

Either way, there will always be times in a PM or Supervisor’s career where they are faced with having to manage multiple projects at the same time. I’ve experienced this struggle many times in my career so I know exactly how challenging it can be.

Managing multiple projects means that you’re constantly juggling between various project activities, deliverables, deadlines, clients, and stakeholders. If not managed effectively, the quality of work tends to suffer and problems quickly start adding up. This is especially true during the peak seasons, where RFIs, SIs, procurement, and other various construction documents quickly pile up across the board. It’s hard to breathe sometimes!

Throughout my career, I’ve managed to compile a list of crucial tips that have helped me manage multiple projects effectively. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

1. Don’t Multi-task

This may sound counterintuitive, especially considering that this article is about managing multiple projects at once. However, there are several studies out there which prove multi-tasking is actually less productive than focusing on one thing at a time. This is likely due to the fact that you’re more likely to enter a ‘flow’ state while devoting your entire focus on one task at a time, allowing you to complete it not only faster, but also more accurately.

This is so important to understand that I wanted to make it #1 on this list as this has helped me get through some crazy times in my career!

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