It can be tricky to manage resource allocations for a single complex project, but it really becomes challenging when you have multiple strategic initiatives running concurrently. Ensuring you have enough resources available without paying for the excess to sit idle requires careful orchestration. When resources are tight, knowing precisely what’s available to execute tasks and where you can find more if needed is essential. Fortunately, a strategic approach to cross-training and developing redundant skills can help you expand your resource pool and add resources when necessary to support your existing team.

Before you can allocate talent resources across your active projects, it’s important to first identify the skill sets available to your team. Your in-house group members are likely to have a subset of capabilities they haven’t yet used in their role, either because there hasn’t been a need (or opportunity) to do so or because they aren’t confident in their ability to successfully apply their skills in the current environment. By knowing where untapped skills lurk, you can better understand the scope of what’s available to you and identify specific areas where the team would benefit from boosting members’ existing skills.

Your vendors and consultants could also be a repository of valuable skills you haven’t tapped into previously. For example, you may rely on a long-time contractor for a particular type of craft labor without realizing they have many other capabilities that could be useful to your team. Ask for information on their available services next time you connect with them—there’s a good chance you’ll discover a deep well of expertise that could be highly valuable later. Your existing vendors can also refer you to other providers for services they don’t provide directly.

Mentorship and job shadowing programs can create and further develop green skill sets with surprising speed. Your seasoned team members aren’t the only ones who can share their expertise—newer colleagues may also have valuable skills to teach. For example, consider who has a background using no-code tools. They can help less technical professionals create automations and even build complete apps to streamline tasks across multiple projects. Or look for opportunities to implement shadow roles for critical positions to accelerate the transfer of critical knowledge and skills and boost your internal capabilities.

Safeguard the knowledge your group has so you can apply it to your project portfolio. Document processes, workflows, and other elements to enable quick knowledge transfer. Using this approach, you’ll also empower your entire team—rather than specific individuals—with knowledge. When many different people can quickly take on key project tasks, you benefit from greater flexibility in your resource allocation efforts.

Develop a consistent and deliberate strategy for continuous cross-training. Cross-training has often been viewed as a way to cover absences, but there’s additional value beyond that single use case. A well-developed cross-training strategy enables you to build a more adaptable and responsive project team. When team members understand the skills and nuances involved in multiple roles, they develop a holistic view of project operations, leading to improved problem-solving and innovation. Effective cross-training programs treat knowledge transfer as an ongoing initiative rather than a one-time event. This approach ensures that skills and knowledge evolve with project needs and technological advancements.

Once you know the scope and depth of the available skills, your resource allocation efforts can be much better informed. You’ll understand where your organization will benefit from building additional skills. You’ll also be able to more accurately assess how to deploy redundant skills to keep concurrent projects moving forward efficiently and where additional training will give you important new capabilities later.

PMAlliance, Inc uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project portfolio management.