In between office seasonal festivities and the holiday spirit in the air, keeping an IT Project moving forward at the end of the year can be a challenge for the most savvy professionals. It’s a time when the IT project manager must juggle the competing needs of the company’s IT project and the people who make it happen while minimizing disruption in the company’s workflow. Not an easy task!

I’ve found that the key is planning and preparation….early! That way your project management methodology can be followed as intended, instead of being waylaid by the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Here are my top hints for planning your IT project around the holidays so when the holidays hit, your project doesn’t suffer!

Plan as early as possible.

I make sure when I am planning a project over the holiday season that I incorporate every staff member’s holiday vacation plans. In most cases, it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to cancel their plans for the project so it is essential to carefully plan around the absences and gaps in the workflow. Team members should also be clear about their status before leaving for the holiday. I regard the project’s needs on a week to week basis and alter the plan so that the project moves forward even when it is short-staffed. In addition, if the project has resources at various facilities around the world, I coordinate the calendars of the members of those facilities allowing me to add additional hours of work during the busy season. For example, if I have a resource in India, that resource could cover the hours that my resource in the U.S. will be off duty.

Plan non-production time activities during the holidays.

Sometimes a project requires work  to be performed during the holidays to avoid any delays (i.e., a Q3 project that must launch in Q1 of the following year). In these cases, I attempt to have as much of the planning, design and other non-production work scheduled for completion during the holiday season. Execution of the project can then wait until the company is once again fully staffed, which ensures a smoother launch and minimal downtime or transition for the company. In other words, during the holidays, find ways to be productive but focus on tasks that don’t require interruption of the company’s IT system.

Allow flexibility with employees.

During the holidays, employees have extra responsibilities and pressures. Out-of-town family, kids off school, hosting gatherings, religious needs, etc. can all cause undue stress and an inability to get into the office as much as they’d like. However, by allowing employees the opportunity to work from home, you can still benefit from their assistance and keep the project  moving forward. Another benefit is the sanity of the employee! A little time away from the office can provide a needed shot of work-life balance and even be a good productivity booster as well.

For IT project managers who have in-house responsibilities for a particular resource, it’s important to communicate with them individually to understand their limitations during the holidays and express your expectations (especially with urgent tasks) and requirements. If you hit snags, consider pushing deadlines into a different time frame and re-adjust your plan in advance by discussing with the functional managers.

Take time to celebrate and appreciate.

The holidays are a good time for a project manager to get to know their team members on a more personal level and show appreciation for their help with a project. As a project manager for a consulting firm, sometimes we are restricted from giving personal gifts to team members, so I like to show my appreciation to my team as a group. For example, I may bring in donuts or order in lunch one day for them. I find the camaraderie we share builds our relationship and helps if we should have to resolve a conflict together during the project management process.

Whether I am hired as an outsourced IT project management consultant or am working in-house at a company as part of their team I always assume financial responsibility for any show of appreciation for my project team members. To me, it’s the right thing to do.

While keeping the project going during the holidays is a challenge, it is also a time for a project manager to demonstrate many skills. If you are looking for a project manager that understands how seasonal needs can impact an IT project, contact Lurdez Consulting Group today at 630.749.4810!