Whilst they may often be necessary for improvement or adaptation, project changes can disrupt carefully balanced workloads. New tasks can change your priorities and reduce your timelines. As a project manager, you may find yourself facing the critical challenges that come with trying to manage these new demands alongside the existing responsibilities of the project.
Failing to understand how to correctly navigate this delicate balance can result in a team that is overburdened, deadlines that are missed, and a decrease in the quality of the project. This will ultimately result in project failure.
In this post, we will explore the practical challenges you can encounter, and consider effective strategies for resource allocation, prioritisation, and ways in which you can mitigate team burnout during transition periods.
More work, same resources
When there is a change to a project, the immediate impact is usually additional work for your existing team. You will need to analyse any new requirements, and new tasks will have to be actioned. This might mean revisiting and possibly modifying existing deliverables. All this extra work can overwhelm a team quickly. This risk can result in new demands not being appropriately met or current workloads suffering, and this has the potential to derail essential parts of the project.
The pitfalls of poor resource management
When there is no strategic approach in place, there can be significant consequences when you try to absorb the new project demands into your existing workload.
Team burnout
Asking team members to take on more work without making adjustments to existing responsibilities can lead to burnout. This can be seen through decreased motivation, an increase in errors, more “sick” days, and finally, the loss of important members of the team.
Decreased quality
When team members are overextended, the quality of the work they produce tends to decline. Tasks might be rushed, and a lack of focus may result in errors, rework or a compromise on the final product.
Missed deadlines
When you try to juggle too many priorities at the same time, it is easy to miss deadlines for both new and old workloads. This can have a knock-on effect for the rest of the project with implications for timelines and the expectations of your stakeholders.
Erosion of morale and increased conflict
When you feel constantly overwhelmed and not supported, it can affect your morale and create a negative project environment. It can also result in conflicting priorities due to competition over limited resources, leading to conflict and friction within the team and potentially with stakeholders.
Strategies for navigating the resource roulette
Balancing existing workloads and the demands of a new project requires a proactive approach, with several key strategies to consider.
Accurate assessment of impact
The first thing to do is to analyse thoroughly the impact any changes to the project might have on the existing workload. Identify new tasks, the effort they will require and how the task associated with the latest work will intersect with the ongoing work. Consider which of your team members are most likely to be affected and what the strain on their current workload may be.
Prioritisation is essential
Not all the tasks in a project are created equal. During times of change, it is essential to reconsider and prioritise both the existing and the new demands of your project. This can be done using techniques like MoSCoW (Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won’t Have) or a priority matrix to identify which tasks are most important and which require immediate attention. This may mean temporarily de-prioritising existing jobs that are less urgent to make time for new demands.
Strategic resource allocation
Based on the discoveries of your impact assessment and prioritisation, you should strategically allocate resources to address new demands. This means re-allocating existing team members by carefully shifting responsibilities around the team. To do this, you need to ensure that those people with the best skills for the new task are assigned to them, but that they fit with the current workload.
If this causes issues in your workflow, where there is too much work and not enough people on the team, consider bringing in temporary support to fill the skills gaps. You could also consider investing in project management skills training for your current staff so that you have more flexibility in the future.
Clear communication and transparency
Communicate changes openly, along with the rationale behind them and the impact they will have on team members’ workloads. It is essential to be transparent about the allocation of resources and any new priorities. When there is regular communication, you can manage expectations and address concerns proactively.
Workload levelling and capacity planning
To distribute tasks in a more even manner within your team, you should employ workload levelling techniques. This will help you avoid overloading people. Capacity planning will help you understand the overall availability of the team and then distribute tasks as evenly as possible without overloading any one person. Project management software can be utilised to help visualise workloads and identify potential imbalances.
Effective delegation and regular monitoring
It can be a good idea to empower the members of your team to take ownership of tasks and, where possible, delegate. This will help you distribute the workload and foster a sense of growth and responsibility within the team. Continuously monitor both workloads and progress, and keep an eye out for signs of burnout. You should be prepared to make necessary adjustments in resource allocation or prioritise where necessary. Conduct regular check-ups with team members to assess challenges and capacity.
Efficiency and process improvement
To help with balancing workloads, seek opportunities to streamline processes and introduce more efficient working methods to free up capacity. This may involve automation, the adoption of new tools or technology or process optimisation.
Manage stakeholder expectations
Clear communication with stakeholders will help when it comes to informing them about potential changes to deliverables and timelines. It is essential that stakeholder expectations are managed realistically and that adjustments are made when necessary.
Prioritise team well-being
Periods of change can be stressful, so ensure that you prioritise the well-being of your team, take regular breaks, and promote a healthy work-life balance. Offer support and resources that will help with an increased work demand and balancing new workloads. A team that is supported is more productive in the long run.
Navigating this “resource roulette” during a period of project change is an essential skill for any project manager. It is crucial to consider the project from every angle and ensure that you strike the right balance without compromising the project’s quality or the health of the project team.
