Project Managers Are Being Trapped With Busywork - Weekly Newsletter


Welcome to our weekly newsletter!

17 November 2024

Hey friend,

I've been off sick for a few days. Nothing serious, but it reminded me of something I believe. That when you are too stressed, tired or overworked, your body will drop hints. If you don't pay attention, it will drop bombs. So when you are feeling run-down, take a voluntary break before you end up needing to take a forced one.

Some Thoughts

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

What you will learn this week:

☀️ How to identify busywork

🌍 What to do to be more productive

🍄 Why delegation isn't laziness


Project Managers Are Being Trapped With Busywork

Let’s be honest. How much time do you spend on work that just doesn’t seem to be that important? Urgent maybe, but it hardly seems like work that is creating a big impact. Glorified admin. Busywork is something we are all familiar with. It refers to tasks that keep you occupied but don’t add significant value or contribute towards your most important goals. These are activities that might seem urgent but aren’t necessarily important. As a project manager, falling into the trap of busywork can derail your progress. It can be even more devastating for your team. In this article, we will explore how to identify busywork, and strategies to avoid it so that you can focus on what truly matters.

The Impact of Busywork

The prevalence of busywork in the workplace is well-documented.

A 2018 survey by Workfront found that 57% of workers feel that they spend the majority of their day on busywork, rather than strategic tasks that add value.

This statistic is alarming, especially for project managers who are responsible for steering their teams toward successful project completion.

The same survey revealed that employees believe they could be a whopping 60% more productive if they didn’t have to deal with busywork.

When busywork dominates your schedule, it not only hampers your productivity but also sets a poor example for your team.

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Postscript

Exciting news. You may have seen our email these past few Wednesdays. For the next 6 months we will be launching one free tool each week on our Gumroad site. Totally free (although if you love it you are welcome to add a small donation to fuel our coffee addiction). So check your inbox each Wednesday and I'm sure you will find tools you love, and that make your workflows better.

Until next time,

Jonathan (The Effective Project Manager)


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