Project Management And Stress

Being a Project Manager is without doubt one of the most stressful jobs that you can take on. Whilst anyone taking on the role of Project Manager> is sure to already appreciate that their job will entail very high levels of stress> they will also, invariably, believe themselves to be immune to the effects of that stress. Unfortunately, whilst some people can $1cope with> high levels of stress the majority of Project Managers can’t, or refuse to, recognise that they are $1under stress before it is too late. At which point either they become ill or $1fail in their job as it becomes more and more difficult for them to handle.

Causes of stress in a PM. #

Short tempered – often means you're under stress.

The cause of stress> in a Project Manager are many and varied; and are not always just associated with the job. A settled and harmonious personal/social life can be just as important to the success of a PM> as can be the ease with which a $1project is progressing>. A primary factor in creating stress in a Project Manager is having to work to $1unrealistic deadlines>. If you feel your deadlines are unrealistic tell the project owner and insist on a rescheduling. If they want a $1quality outcome> – they’ll agree to your requests. $1Conflicts> can be another major source of stress. These can be between the Project Management and the $1project owner> or the Project Management and the $1sub-teams> and their managers working on the project. As the Project Management if you can’t show the $1leadership> necessary to remove conflicts, perhaps you need to remove yourself from the project! Whilst some of the other factors to look out for are things like the $1project environment>, the $1risks> being taken in the project and $1economic considerations >– don’t ignore the pressure you put yourself under. By and large project Managers are $1high achievers who expect a lot of themselves. If something is going wrong – it doesn’t have to be all $1your own fault!

Recognizing stress. #

We’ll consider how to deal with stress> as a Project Manager another time – but how do you recognize> being under $1stress>. $1Physical symptoms> can include relatively minor things like $1headaches> and $1upset stomachs.> $1Low spirits> and $1short temperedness> are two other common $1indicators of stress>. However, $1cardiovascular disease> and deeply $1psychological worries> are serious concerns that must not be ignored; as you are putting yourself and potentially those you work with at $1serious risk >should you make a misjudgement due to a condition brought on by $1stress>. If $1you are stressed it doesn’t mean that you have to quit work, but you should $1seek help immediately.