Overworked Project Managers Aren’t Heroes... They’re a Warning Sign
Long hours. Late nights. Constant firefighting. Sound familiar?
Too often, we celebrate project managers who grind through brutal workloads like it’s a badge of honour. “Look at their dedication!” “They’ll do whatever it takes!” But let’s be real, this isn’t commitment - It’s a real problem.
When a PM is consistently overworked, the problem isn’t them, it’s the system around them. And if you don’t fix it? Expect burnout, bad decisions, and ultimately, project failure.
I once had a leader tell me, “It’s OK, we’re making a saving… They’re doing the work of two PMs.” That was a huge red flag. Not only did it show a complete disregard for the PM’s wellbeing, but it also highlighted a short-sighted approach to resource management. Sure, the budget looked good on paper, but at what longer term cost? Overworking a PM inevitably leads to mistakes, delays, and ultimately, higher costs in the long run.
So, what’s going wrong? Where does the problem start? And most importantly, how do we fix it?
The Root Causes of Project Manager Overwork
Overworking isn’t a personal choice, it’s a symptom of deeper structural issues. The real question is: what’s driving it?
A Culture That Rewards Overwork
Red Flag: PMs are praised for working late rather than for delivering efficiently.
Impact: Work-life balance becomes impossible, morale tanks, and burnout spreads.
Fix It:
- Shift from effort-based recognition to outcome-based recognition. Don’t celebrate hours worked, celebrate smart planning, risk management, and efficiency.
- Encourage leaders to model work-life balance. If senior leaders are always online at 10 p.m., PMs will feel pressured to do the same.
Unrealistic Project Loads
Red Flag: One PM is juggling too many projects at once.
Impact: Context-switching kills productivity, priorities clash, and quality suffers.
Fix It:
- Review project allocations. No PM should be spread so thin that they can’t focus.
- Use resource management tools. If your PMO doesn’t track workloads, you’re flying blind.
Poor Planning & Firefighting Culture
Red Flag: The team is always in reactive mode, last-minute changes, unrealistic deadlines, and rushed delivery.
Impact: Stress skyrockets, mistakes increase, and the project constantly feels on the edge of collapse.
Fix It:
- Invest in better planning and estimation. If a project is always in crisis mode, the planning phase failed.
- Get serious about risk management. Identifying and mitigating risks early stops problems before they explode.
Weak Support
Red Flag: PMs feel alone in the chaos, no escalation paths, no support from leadership.
Impact: Decision fatigue, frustration, and high turnover.
Fix It:
- Ensure PMs have escalation routes. If a project is going off the rails, there should be clear support structures.
- Train senior leaders in project realities. If your senior leadership team don’t understand why PMs are struggling, they won’t fix it.
Why This Matters: The Hidden Costs of Overwork
Still think long hours are just part of the job? Think again. Here’s what happens when overwork becomes the norm:
- Burnout: The best PMs don’t quit because they hate the job. They quit because they’re exhausted.
- Bad Decisions: Tired minds make sloppy calls—missed risks, poor estimates, avoidable delays.
- Lower Productivity: 80-hour weeks don’t mean 80 hours of good work. Overworked teams become slower, not faster.
- Culture Damage: When overwork is glorified, it trickles down to the whole team. Toxic culture breeds toxic outcomes.
The Bottom Line
Stop Fixing Symptoms, Solve the Root Cause - If a project manager is working consistently long hours, the response shouldn’t be “Wow, they’re so committed.” It should be “Why is this happening, and how do we fix it?”
Overwork isn’t a sign of dedication - it’s a red flag that something is broken.
Smart leaders don’t just expect PMs to cope, they change the system so they don’t have to.
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