The Balancing Act: Managing Multiple Projects (as a Software QA Engineer)
Last week, as I stepped into my office, I was armed with a well-structured plan for the day’s tasks. It’s my usual practice to anticipate and prepare myself for the day’s workload. However, my carefully orchestrated routine was unexpectedly disrupted when a colleague urgently called, requesting my expertise as a QA for a different project. Even though it was a small project, I was like, “Sure, I can totally help out and take over!”. Then, as if one surprise wasn’t enough, another call came in from a team member praising our exceptional service to a client who had subsequently recommended us to a partner. This partner needed our services for a new project, which brought my total project count to an intimidating six. When I caught sight of the colossal workload looming in front of me, even my seasoned self couldn’t help but feel a twinge of panic. It was like staring at Mount Everest and thinking, “Yep, I’ll just casually climb that in my spare time.”
But, with the right mindset and a robust system, managing multiple projects can become less of a daunting task. Therefore, I want to share my experiences and demystify the strategy that has helped me navigate such challenging workload situations. I will share my workflows as a Software QA Manager, although many of these points can be applicable to various other professions as well.
Understand the Project Dynamics and Your Role
Projects can differ significantly in their duration and complexity. Some might only last a few months, while others could span several years. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand the initial estimated timeline of the project. I say ‘initial’ because circumstances can always change, but you should still have a solid grasp of the project’s expected lifespan. If it’s an ongoing project, it’s important to comprehend its current status. Are the developers already in the implementation phase, or are we still in the design stage? Without a clear understanding of what has been accomplished and what is yet to be done, you can’t identify your responsibilities as a QA manager. Furthermore, it’s essential to understand the project’s scale. How many developers are on the team? Will the team size increase or decrease? Are the developers experienced or novices?
Additionally, it’s vital to understand your role in the project. The role of a software QA engineer or manager can be interpreted in various ways depending on the project. For instance, the project may only require manual testing, or they might also want test automation. Do they need detailed test reports or not? There are many variables to consider at the beginning of a new project as a QA engineer, and addressing these as early as possible can make planning much simpler.
The Art of Prioritization
As a QA engineer, your task list can quickly grow overwhelming, with bug reports, system checks, test plans, and more demanding your attention. Prioritizing effectively means identifying which tasks will have the most significant impact on the project and tackling them first. To do this, it’s essential to understand both the urgency and importance of each task. One effective method to aid in prioritization is Eisenhower’s Decision Matrix. The matrix is a simple four-quadrant box that helps separate tasks based on their urgency and importance.
- Quadrant 1 (Urgent and Important): These are the tasks that require your immediate attention and contribute significantly to your projects. They typically include critical bug fixes and high-priority tasks.
- Quadrant 2 (Important, Not Urgent): These tasks are important for your projects, but they don’t need immediate attention. They could include system improvements or writing new test cases.
- Quadrant 3 (Urgent, Not Important): These tasks are time-sensitive but don’t contribute significantly to your projects. An example might be responding to non-critical emails or attending meetings.
- Quadrant 4 (Not Urgent, Not Important): These are low-priority tasks that don’t directly contribute to your projects, like minor administrative tasks.
Aim to spend most of your time on Quadrant 2 tasks, as these contribute to long-term goals and prevent issues from becoming urgent and important (Quadrant 1).
Risk management is another critical aspect of prioritization. Risks in software QA projects could include potential bugs, system failures, or project delays. Identifying these risks early can help you prioritize tasks that mitigate these risks, thus reducing the chances of project failure. Regular risk assessments can help you stay ahead of potential issues. Once you’ve identified a risk, you can decide how to handle it: mitigate it, accept it, or transfer it. The choice will depend on the risk’s potential impact and the project’s overall goals.
Get a Comprehensive Overview
When managing multiple projects, it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of what needs to be done next. To maintain a clear overview, I strongly suggest creating a dashboard or something similar. I use Jira and Confluence for this purpose. I have a dedicated QA Jira Dashboard for all my projects, which I review first thing every morning to get a comprehensive overview of the various projects. I extensively use different filters to gather the necessary information for planning. For example, if you have a Kanban board set up in Jira for your sprints, you could not only filter for your issues (QA column) but also create a filter for issues that will soon be in the QA column (like if they’re currently in the code review column or something similar). This allows you to foresee the workload that will be coming your way in the near future. You can also estimate which project takes up most of your time. This can be beneficial for estimating the workload distribution among multiple projects in the future.
Time Management Techniques
Effective time management is a crucial skill for any Software QA Engineer, especially when juggling several projects at once. One method to streamline your workflow is the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working for a set amount of time, typically 25 minutes, then taking a short 5-minute break. After completing four “Pomodoros,” take a longer break. This technique is beneficial as it helps maintain focus. Another useful strategy is time-blocking. This involves scheduling specific time slots for different projects throughout your day. This ensures each task of a project has its dedicated time, and helps prevent the temptation to multitask, which can often reduce efficiency. I prefer to allocate specific time slots in my calendar for each project, typically lasting 1–2 hours. This serves the dual purpose of informing my colleagues about my unavailability and ensuring uninterrupted focus. By planning ahead, I have a clear agenda for those periods, and I can work without any disruptions.
Define Clear Processes and Workflows
As you may recall from my previous blog post, I place great importance on establishing well-defined and effective processes. It is crucial to initiate this early on. For instance, consider outlining the method and timeline for receiving features for testing. Should you build them locally on your computer or will they be provided by the developers? How will the transfer of tickets from the developer to the QA engineer occur, and what is the preferred mode of communication for reporting bugs and findings? By clearly defining and documenting these processes, every team member becomes aware of their responsibilities and the necessary actions at each stage. This minimizes potential points of friction and misunderstandings in the future, enhancing overall productivity and simplifying the life of a QA engineer. Furthermore, when juggling multiple projects, having written instructions readily available ensures that you can always refer to them for guidance on the next steps if needed.
Don’t Attend Every Meeting Like It’s a Must!
When working on multiple projects, meetings play a crucial role. Given that nearly every project involves daily stand-ups, refinements, and other similar activities, it is possible to spend most of your day attending these meetings. This can become highly stressful as the number of projects increases. Hence, it is essential to establish a specific rule: Attend meetings only if you have something to say or contribute; otherwise, prioritize your valuable time in a multi-project environment. Sitting in meetings that provide no value to you is a misuse of your time. Therefore, it is advisable to eliminate unnecessary meetings and direct your questions directly to the developer or relevant person instead of engaging in time-consuming gatherings. Striking a balance in your meeting schedule is a vital task.
Learn To Say “No” and “Help Me”
Imagine you have a well-functioning working system, everything is running smoothly. Then your boss approaches you and asks if you can handle another project because it holds significant importance. While your system may be working fine, taking on an additional project might push you beyond your limits. In such cases, it is crucial to confidently decline the request. Even the most efficient working system has its limitations, and attempting to juggle a hundred different projects is simply impractical. Recognizing when “enough is enough” is a skill worth developing, especially since team leads often lack a precise understanding of the workload across various projects. Effective communication becomes key when the workload becomes overwhelming. As a software QA professional, your primary focus is on ensuring quality, which requires dedicating time to specific tasks. Rushing through them will only lead to regrets about the excessive workload across multiple projects. Therefore, it is imperative to learn the art of saying no and establishing clear boundaries.
Additionally, it is essential to embrace the practice of seeking help when needed. Whether it’s comprehending acceptance criteria, becoming familiar with a specific tech stack, or encountering issues with your testing framework, don’t hesitate to reach out to the relevant person for assistance. Instead of wasting time, promptly seek guidance, especially when handling numerous projects simultaneously. By doing so, you can make the most of your time and avoid unnecessary delays.
Get Your Tasks Ready the Day Before
Effective project management relies heavily on thorough preparation. In this regard, I employ two different approaches. Firstly, on Monday mornings, I allocate dedicated time to devise a rough plan for the week ahead. This involves assessing the intensity of each project on specific days, identifying crucial deadlines, and considering any public holidays or personal commitments. By doing so, I can proactively prepare myself for potentially demanding days in advance.
Furthermore, I highly recommend taking a few moments at the end of each day to plan for the following day. This entails mapping out upcoming meetings, determining which tickets or issues need attention across various projects, and considering any necessary conversations that need to take place beforehand. This more detailed plan serves as a valuable blueprint for structuring my day effectively. Additionally, I reserve time slots in advance for specific tasks such as testing, documentation writing, or any other necessary activities.
By consistently implementing these planning practices, I can approach my projects with greater organization and foresight, optimizing my productivity and ensuring that critical tasks are appropriately prioritized.
Organize and Categorize
Maintaining control and visibility over your work as a software QA manager handling multiple projects requires effective organization. A valuable approach to managing this complexity involves categorizing everything based on the respective projects. This categorization extends to tools, to-do lists, and communication channels, ensuring a dedicated space or category for each project.
Creating project-specific to-do lists allows you to concentrate on tasks relevant to each project, avoiding unnecessary distractions. Similarly, organizing communication channels, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams, into project-specific channels or groups promotes efficient collaboration. This categorization methodology offers several advantages. Firstly, it simplifies progress tracking, as all project-related items are grouped, facilitating a comprehensive overview. Additionally, it ensures easy accessibility to project-related communications and resources, minimizing time wasted on information retrieval. Most importantly, it helps prevent tasks from slipping through the cracks or getting lost amidst the shuffle of multiple projects.
Conclusion
While balancing multiple projects can present challenges, it is certainly achievable. By implementing the following strategies, you can effectively manage your workload and consistently deliver high-quality work across all projects. Flexibility is also key. Be prepared to adapt to changes, shifting priorities, or unexpected obstacles that may arise during your projects. Being adaptable will enable you to respond effectively and make necessary adjustments to your plans.
It is important to note that balancing multiple projects should ideally be a temporary situation. Constantly juggling numerous projects can introduce stress and time limitations, which may impact the quality of your work. Strive to maintain a manageable workload that allows you to perform at your best without compromising on quality.
