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Improving Project Management in a Time-Poor World

Labour’s confirmed plans to make flexible working a day-one right under the Employment Rights Bill could be the first of…

Improving Project Management in a Time-Poor World

29th October 2024

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Labour’s confirmed plans to make flexible working a day-one right under the Employment Rights Bill could be the first of many changes to ways of working, after a four-day week was teased back in August. Undertaking multiple business projects at once is no easy task, and a potential shift in weekly hours or working patterns means it’s increasingly important for project teams to streamline their approach to project management. But how can this be achieved when the clock’s ticking?

Momentum behind the four-day working week has been picking up pace in the UK since the Covid-19 pandemic. In the world’s biggest trial of the new policy, most participating UK companies made the change permanent, with over half of project managers and CEOs reporting a positive impact on their organisation – for example, through improved staff wellbeing and reduced turnover. Research carried out by the University of Reading reiterated the benefits of the four-day week, with 78 per cent of employers reporting decreased stress levels among staff and over two thirds of employees revealing the policy would boost job satisfaction.

Whilst there are clear opportunities to be gleaned from this way of working, businesses must consider the strategic and practical challenges for key areas such as project management. Delivering many projects at once already calls for a multi-pronged approach that covers people management, task prioritisation and resource efficiency. Where teams must achieve the same amount of work in 80 per cent of the time, the seamless coordination of these areas is even more critical to maintain productivity, efficiency and team morale. Undertaking any change for good is about balancing the business’ evolution with close management of the implications for the workforce.

Should working patterns change, effective communication must take centre stage in project management. This may seem simple, but ensuring regular updates and handovers, feedback sessions and clear channels for team interaction are established will not only minimise errors and stress, but could also prevent missed deadlines further down the line.

Of course, great communication goes beyond keeping project deliveries aligned. It allows the project team to reflect and learn on past approaches to work, which will be essential in the context of a four-day week. Communicating clearly before and after the four-day policy is implemented will help project team members to voice and address pinch points, such as an imbalance between worker capacities, and encourage input and buy-in from every employee. As part of this effort, businesses should aim to make communication points accessible and visible – for instance, by arranging one-to-one meetings or allocating time for feedback sessions.

Clarity will be equally important for project management under the increased time constraints. From the outset of any project, the roles and responsibilities of the team should be clearly defined. Each team member should understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture and why it is important. This does two things: first, it incentivises the person by giving their work purpose and meaning, and second, it helps to reduce confusion over workloads later on. In the four-day week, every hour counts, and any delays will have a far bigger impact on meeting project timelines.

It’s important for project managers to gauge the availability of their resources against the project’s needs. Using tools to map out project demands, milestones and the availability of finances, people or time will inform better decision making and a better use of resources. This should be coupled with a good understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses to enable the team to perform at its best. There are ups and downs with any project workload, so flexible scheduling will also allow work to fit in around team, project and client needs. Agility within project teams is becoming pivotal as working patterns evolve, and will ensure performance doesn’t slip, particularly during critical project phases.

Keeping an eye on the team’s capabilities throughout a project will feed into resource efficiency. People’s skillsets develop all the time and there could be opportunities for a reassignment of tasks or roles within the project team, or even in the wider business. For example, where an employee outside the project team shows an aptitude for critical thinking, their introduction to the team could shed light on a better way to manage resource allocation, or even the arrangement of responsibilities.

Maintaining team performance can also be supported by having contingency plans in place, from backup resources to alternative workflows. For instance, where there are specific skills gaps, introducing change consultants can help the team to develop these attributes through a blended team approach: a method of coaching through demonstration, guided practice and the independent execution of the skill.

The popularity of more flexible working patterns amongst the UK’s workforce is clear, but without an efficient, well-considered approach, project managers could find themselves in hot water. Building a workforce that is led by individual strengths, efficient practices and flexibility could make or break the survival of project teams in a four-day working world.

Charlotte Stanyer is a consultant at business change consultancy, Entec Si.

Categories: Advice, Articles

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