10 Time Management Tips for Project Managers

Time Management for Project Managers: Why it Matters

Managing projects often means dealing with multiple tasks, deadlines, and teams. All while trying to maintain a clear vision of the bigger picture.

Managing your time is crucial to making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Over the years, I’ve managed lots of projects, and during the process, I’ve found a set of strategies that have drastically improved my efficiency.

The best part? They’re pretty simple to implement, and once you make them part of your routine, you’ll see just how much easier managing your time can be. So, Lets dive in!

1. Prioritize Tasks Based on Impact

When managing projects, not every task is urgent or critical to the project’s success. To make the most of your time, it’s important to focus on the tasks that have the biggest impact on the overall project objectives.

One method that has helped me prioritize the more important tasks is the Eisenhower Matrix—it basically categorizes tasks into these four quadrants:

1. Urgent and important,
2. Important but not urgent,
3. Urgent but not important,
4. Neither urgent nor important.

You should focus first on tasks that are both urgent and important.This way you’ll be tackling the most critical work without getting strained from less meaningful tasks.

To give you an example, a few years back, I was managing a software development project with a looming deadline. We had a long list of tasks, and everything seemed urgent at first glance.

But when I sat down with the team and applied the Eisenhower Matrix, we realized that while fixing a minor UI bug felt pressing, it wasn’t critical to the project’s success.

Instead, we shifted focus to completing the core functionality—a much more important deliverable for our client. This shift in priorities saved us time and allowed us to deliver the project on schedule.

If I had only had the time to give more examples, but really, this approach saved me countless hours that would otherwise have been wasted on less important tasks.

And allowed me to focus solely on the higher priority goals—actually enabling me to achieve greater productivity overall.

2. Break Projects into Smaller Milestones

Big projects can feel overwhelming. Breaking them down into smaller,  and easier manageable milestones makes everything easier to handle.

Instead of focusing on the entire project at once, It’s often better to create mini-goals along the way. This helped me track progress and keeps the team motivated since we can celebrate small wins as we go.

For example, during a recent website redesign project, instead of just aiming for a “complete website,” I split it into milestones like wireframe approval, design mockups, and backend integration.

Each milestone had its own deadline, and it made the entire process smoother and less stressful.

3. Use Time-Blocking for Focused Work Sessions

One of the best ways to stay on track is by using time-blocking. This simple technique involves setting aside specific blocks of time for focused work.

During these blocks, you only work on one task—no distractions, nothing. It’s really helped me stay productive.

To give you a simple but effective example, I often block out two hours in the morning to handle critical tasks before I check emails or attend meetings.

This way, I can make real progress before the day’s distractions creep in.

4. Leverage Project Management Tools for Better Organization

Using the right tools can save you a lot of time. Project management software helps to keep everything in one place—tasks, timelines, and team communication.

With these tools, you can assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress easily. Instead of wasting time looking for information or sending constant follow-up emails, everything is organized and clear for the team.

To give you a simple example, in one of my recent projects, I used Asana to assign tasks and deadlines. It allowed me to see what everyone was working on at a glance, which helped avoid confusion and keep the project on track.

It does require investing some time in setting up the tool, adding your team members and projects but believe me it’s worth it.

5. Delegate Tasks to Lighten Your Load

As a project manager, it’s easy to feel like you need to handle everything. But one of the best time management strategies is knowing when to delegate.

Trust your team to take on tasks they’re skilled at, and don’t hesitate to offload some responsibilities. We all think we can do everything the best ourselves. But even if your team delivers 80% of your productivity you’re still miles ahead.

A great way to delegate while not compromising on quality is investing some time in a Standard Operating Procedure. Perform the task yourself first. Define the task as simple as possible and define what it means to successfully complete the task. 

Using a checklist in your SOPs often helps as well. DOing it this way increases the chance that any team member, regardless of their experience or level, can perform the task as if you would have done it yourself.

This not only saves you time but also helps team members grow and take ownership of their work.

6. Set Clear, Realistic Deadlines

Don’t make the mistake of setting deadlines that are too tight. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to meet everyone’s expectations, but pushing for unrealistic timelines only creates stress and delays. Be honest with yourself and your team about how long things will really take. This way, you’ll avoid last-minute rushes and have time to deliver quality work.

For example, when working on a website redesign, I initially aimed to get everything done in 2 months. But after being committed to the project for about 2 weeks, we realized it was ( way )  too short.

So, we extended the timeline, giving everyone enough space to do their jobs properly—and the client was happier with the final result.

7. Avoid Multitasking to Stay Focused

It might feel like multitasking helps you get more done, but in reality, it often slows you down. Switching between tasks makes it harder to focus and can lead to mistakes.

Instead, try to focus on one task at a time. You’ll find that you finish each task faster and with better results.

I used to try handling emails, project planning, and team questions all at once. It left me feeling scattered and less productive. Now, I block out specific time for each task, and I get things done quicker without feeling overwhelmed.

8. Use Automation to Handle Repetitive Tasks

Repeating tasks over and over again can eat up a lot of your time. But thankfully, many project management tools offer automation features that handle these for you.

Think about the small stuff like sending reminders, updating the status of a task, or tracking progress. Automating these small things frees up time for more important work.

9. Conduct Regular Progress Reviews

Regular check-ins with your team are crucial to make sure everything is moving in the right direction. Set up progress reviews to spot issues early and adjust as needed.

These check-ins don’t need to be long—just enough to ensure everyone’s on the same page and deadlines are being met.

In one project, I scheduled weekly 15-minute reviews to quickly assess progress. It helped me spot bottlenecks early and adjust tasks before they became major issues.

10. Protect Your Time by Managing Meeting Schedules

And last but not least, let’s talk about meetings. Meetings can be a huge time drain if they aren’t managed properly. Protect your time by only scheduling meetings when absolutely necessary.

Have clear goals for your meetings and make sure they actually provide value to your overall productivity. Tell me, when thinking about the last 5 meetings you had, which of them actually provided value?

Final Thoughts: Elevating Your Time Management Game

To sum it up, managing your time is a powerful way to stay ahead as a project manager. By applying these simple tips, you can reduce stress and stay organized.

Remember,while hard work is key to being productive and successful. It’s not always about doing more—it’s about doing what makes the most impact and boosts your productivity overall.