In this episode I have Alessandro Carbone in the virtual podcast studio to talk about something that lies close to my heart: the well-being of project managers. We look at what happens when you’re the one holding deadlines, budgets, partners, reporting, emails and internal expectations together – and why so many project managers in EU-funded projects slowly slide into stress, overload or quiet burnout. During the conversation we unpack typical pressure points: “always-on” communication, unclear roles, constant urgency around calls and deliverables, and the emotional work of being the buffer between funders, partners and your own organisation.

From there we move into what can actually help: setting boundaries without dropping the ball, being honest about capacity instead of “hero managing”, and building team habits that make the work more sustainable – check-ins, shared ownership, realistic risk management and explicit support from leadership. We also talk about the mindset side: why saying no is often an act of care for the project, how perfectionism plays out in grant work, and what project managers themselves can do (and cannot do) to protect their mental health. The episode is an invitation to treat well-being as an integral part of professional project management, not an optional luxury.

Time codes:

00:01:57 Introduction

00:04:09 Fly in

00:06:23 The findings: A profession under pressure

00:12:00 What’s driving the pressure

00:29:35 The human impact

00:40:17 How do we move forward

00:51:26 The toughest challenge