How do you manage several projects at once

Question

All my projects seems to be high priority, and on fire.Some times I'm overwhlemed.I am beginning to feel my job is running fire to fire instead of preventing them.This work flow style is beginning to effect my performance.Others who are managing several projects, all with the seemingly same level of priority- what skills have you developed to manage and organize?

_trampeltier · Accepted Answer

Difficult question.First you have to learn to say "no".It is not your problem, it is your companys problem.Often they ask just the people for a job beause it is easy (yes yes I'll do it) or because they do it better than others .. so even it is not really your job, they ask you because you do the job better then the people who really should do the job.Just keep in your mind, you work out of your free will in your company.If you have several projects all on the same time, it does need a bit self discipline. Do finish a real task on a project and not start on each project something.

SalientSapiens · Answer

One of the things I did when running multiple projects is to report on them to my supervisor in the order I believed they were in priority. I always stated this and asked for clarification if my assumptions were wrong. I'd also have cutoffs one the number of projects I held that-project-only meetings with others. I'd hold a catch-all meeting for the rest. It worked out, more or less.