8 Things Project Managers Can do during Downtime

Downtime refers to periods when your project’s regular activities come to a standstill. This might happen for various reasons, leading to the operation of an organization being shut down temporarily. Downtime—brought on by circumstances such as resource shortage, outside delays, or unanticipated technical difficulties—is a fact of life in any project.

On the flip side, uptime represents those periods when everything is running smoothly, and project activities proceed without any interruptions. During uptime, the workflow is steady, and productivity remains at its peak.

Keeping Productivity Alive During Downtime

Downtime can easily be perceived as kickin it, but having the opportunity to still get some work done is everything. This may cause it to lose its momentum. But they might also begin working on something else not related to the project, which will make no progress for it. In fact, boredom can put a huge dent in the motivation of the team, which might lead to low morale. And when motivation goes down, the quality of work also tends to plummet.

By focusing on strategies that promote uptime, you can ensure the team stays active and engaged, even during quieter periods. This keeps their morale high and ensures work efficiency doesn’t plummet.

The Role of Project Managers

The best project managers understand that downtime is just a part of the job. It helps to reduce and contribute to making the most of the downtime and maintaining productivity. The secret to productive — vs. non-productive — downtime, is having a team that can regenerate quickly once the project picks back up steam again.

However, the truth about downtime is that it isn’t something you can really plan for. No matter how prepared you are, it can hit at the wrong moment and then maybe with its costs or inconvenience.

7 Key Focus Areas During Slow Periods in Projects

1. Upskill

This is the perfect time to invest in learning. Whether it’s for yourself or your team, consider enrolling in relevant training courses—either online or in person. You can also assign topics to team members to explore. Let them dive into reading, researching, or learning something new. Once the team is back, they can share their knowledge in training sessions for everyone.

2. Get Organized

Downtime is your chance to organize everything that’s been slipping. Let’s be honest—it’s easy to let things fall behind when busy. Tackle the physical filing, e-file management, folder structures, archiving, and record-keeping. Make sure you’re ready to hit the ground running when everyone returns. 

Stock the stationery cupboard, update software, renew virus protection, put up the new year’s calendar, and take down holiday decorations (at least by the last working day of the year). Small things, but they add up!

3. Reflect on Achievements

Take a moment to look back at the year and reflect on what you’ve accomplished. Celebrate the wins, but don’t ignore areas that didn’t go as planned. Use these insights to create solid strategies for improvement (refer to point 4 for planning).

Make sure you recognize the contributions of your team and stakeholders. Plan how you’ll thank and motivate them when the new year begins—it’s a good way to build energy and buy-in for the future.

 4. Plan Ahead and Set Goals

Of course, you already have project plans in place. But downtime offers a great opportunity to review your workload. Take a closer look at where your time is going and where you want it to go. Set goals for yourself and your team. Discuss how your current plans align with your long-term objectives and make adjustments as needed to keep everything on track.

5. Prepare for Team and Self-Reviews

If your team is around, use this slow period to conduct their annual reviews. Reflect on their past performance and work with them to set new goals for the year ahead. If they’re on holiday, get all the preparation done so you’re ready when they return.

Don’t forget about your own review. If your manager is available, take the opportunity to discuss your accomplishments and present your goals for the upcoming year.

6. Analyse and Evaluate

After a fast-paced year, it’s the perfect time to analyse your productivity. How efficient was your team really? How many tasks did you complete? To improve in the future, you need a clear understanding of your current numbers.

If certain processes, procedures, or techniques slowed you down, evaluate how to improve or replace them. If it’s an organisational issue, use this time to create a well-structured proposal that explains what needs to change and how it can be implemented in the new year.

7. Entertainment Break

If the downtime is due to a software or operating system not working, project managers can allow some entertainment time for their team. However, usually organisations don’t pay attention to entertainment and rely on inbuilt apps on their devices. They don’t have any special apps for streaming free content or access international content. 

Kodi is a media player that lets you stream movies and TV shows from different platforms and a VPN allows you to stream content from any country. For people who have never used a VPN, this guide will explain about the best VPNs available for streaming international content on any device. 

8. Assist Other Projects

Even though your team might be on break, don’t assume that all project managers are in the same situation. Some may have urgent work that requires extra hands. Offer help where you can. This goes for your team members too.

You can also team up with other project managers who are experiencing the same slowdown. Collaborate, share ideas, brainstorm ways to improve project management practices in your company, and exchange lessons learned. Sometimes you’re in the same office but unaware of what other projects are doing—this is a great time to connect.

Downtime During the Holidays: What Should Project Managers Do?

For many project managers, the holiday season tends to be a slow period. With fewer tasks on the table and the general holiday atmosphere, work can come to a crawl—or even a complete stop. If you’re fortunate, you can enjoy some time off during this period. However, depending on your company’s holiday policies, minimum staffing needs, and how much vacation time you have left, you might find yourself “holding down the fort.”

This isn’t just any fort—it’s likely to be one running on minimal resources and locked down for holiday changes. There might be little work to do, and barely any stakeholders to communicate with.

If you find yourself in this situation, plan ahead! Don’t waste this downtime. Opportunities for quiet moments in project management are rare. Make the most of them by catching up on tasks that often fall to the wayside during busier periods, preparing for upcoming phases, or simply organising existing workflows to increase efficiency when things pick up again.

Summing Up

Downtime in project management is inevitable but doesn’t have to be unproductive. By utilising this period effectively, project managers can enhance team skills, get organized, reflect on past achievements, and plan ahead for future success. Downtime offers a valuable opportunity to evaluate current processes, assist other teams, and prepare for the next phase of work. Additionally, incorporating team entertainment can help maintain morale. With the right strategies, downtime can be transformed from a passive period into a productive one, keeping the project on track and ready to hit the ground running once normal activities resume.

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