The reasons to develop the skills required to manage many projects beyond what you have learned in the books on project management are explained in this article. This will help you to meet the real job demands: multiple-project management.

What do you mean by running multiple projects?

Running multiple projects means that you are managing more than a project simultaneously. You might have various customers or sponsors. You will also have various project teams (even though the members on them will be the same).

All the projects will have different timelines. You should be capable of managing your time and keep all the projects moving ahead to strike the planned milestones and deadlines.

The hardest thing is to manage the different stakeholders’ expectations because they all want the projects allotted by them to be considered the most vital.

That is how it looks when you juggle various projects simultaneously. But why is it important? Below are three main reasons why you should learn the skills required to manage different projects together.

Reason 1: Because most people can manage several projects

You will be managing different projects simultaneously if you want to be or if you are the project manager.

Managing multiple projects is the norm. When a survey was conducted with the project professionals, just 15% of them were managing a single project and the rest were managing more than one. The most common stretch was between 2-5 projects. However, 26% of them were directing more than 6 at the very time.

As a Project Manager, a part of your task illustration is to run multiple projects together. Simultaneous management of multiple projects is what the profession is all about.

Reason 2: Because it has been expected of you

Your manager may not speak of it, but you will be assigned more projects. It will not be mentioned in your job profile. However, your boss wants you to carry out many things at once.

This is partly because most of the tasks are project-led and there is more insight work and change initiatives to be done. It is also partly because you are required to have the ability to handle a greater workload.

It’s just the expectation. When these things aren’t working efficiently or aren’t in place, you might still feel stressed out with it all! Handling multiple projects with rivaling deadlines puts you up with it. This is why the third reason is important.

Reason 3: Because you have to go home on time

If you don’t have the skills to handle multiple projects, then you will wreck and burn. You should be able to manage to alter the circumstance before it comes back crippling.

When you start getting more projects first added to your workload, you might think of two choices: work more hours and do the additional work, or don’t do the work at all and bring the career indications of being recognized for not delivering.

To be honest, neither of these choices is great.

Acquiring the skills, processes, tricks, knowledge, experience – whatever you call it, however, it’s a mix of all of these – to keep many projects happening, moving ahead, being able to deliver, and going home on time. This is the secret way of being able to fulfill the expectations of your manager and prevent burnout.

Protecting your physical and mental health along with that of the members of your team has to be a key priority. It is something that you have to realize in your project management career.

Juggling various projects is a skill and a challenge and when it’s done right it will be rewarding. You will meet different people, deliver more quality, and have a combination in the day so that your job becomes more interesting. However, it comes with the obstacle of being overwhelmed and that is why getting home on time has to be on the “must-do” list.

What will happen if you are unable to leave on time?

It is always not possible for the project manager to leave the office at the same time every day. The more senior you get in your job, there will be some sort of crisis you need to handle or some plea from the director that has to be resolved on the same day.

However, you must be able to leave the office on time some days at least. It is easier for you to regulate your time if you can prioritize your workload, manage your diary, and make growth during the usual working day.

It’s normal to handle multiple projects these days to achieve your utmost career success goals. It’s a part of your job – despite most of the textbooks only instructing you about handling a single project.