The all-encompassing position of projects director can seem like a stressful position from outside the automotive industry. Indeed, the number of tasks performed on a daily basis by project directors may seem insurmountable. Projects directors need to attend meetings with designers, plant professionals, and others in the automotive industry to plan out various projects. As well, these directors need to speak with executives and others in high level management to stay accountable on new vehicle lines and other projects. Finally, projects directors need to oversee a number of tasks from concept to completion, which requires a laser-like focus.

As such, projects directors need to be able to organise themselves effectively. However, simply organising the desktop and cleaning out computer file folders frequently won’t get it done. Projects directors need to maintain a strong organisational structure and an updated schedule in order to exceed expectations in the automotive field. There are a few ways in which projects directors can manage their time in order to achieve success.

The first step towards managing time is to keep appointments short. Projects directors should not be fooled by the usual half hour slots that computer scheduling software allows. Automotive directors benefit in several ways from cutting their meeting times in half or in thirds. Projects managers, designers, and engineers need to keep their proposals and issues concise, disallowing any filler or wasted time. As well, more appointments can be fit in around longer meetings, making the daily schedule more flexible.

In addition to cutting down appointment times, projects directors also need to establish quick huddles with their managers and professionals. These huddles, in lieu of regular sit down meetings, allow the projects management staff to get together quickly and go over any daily issues that may arise. As well, board rooms and long conference tables make it difficult to establish a rapport between directors and their subordinates. Impromptu forums for projects staff mean an opportunity to catch up a bit and develop stronger communications.

Finally, projects directors need to learn how to prioritise their various tasks effectively. The simple way of prioritising projects is to look at the due dates or “drop dead� dates on a project. However, several projects may be required immediately, which means that these projects may need to be done simultaneously. Delegation of projects management to their subordinates can help directors on some level. However, projects directors need to look at the overall profitability of a project in order to determine its priority level.

Richard Taylor Edwards is the Managing Director of Talisman Executive, a specialist recruitment agency for construction careers and construction jobs in the UK and Europe.