Now, deadlines have become a constant in project management. However, this doesn’t mean that teams which are assigned to the certain project are capable of dealing with them flawlessly. The truth is that there are quite a lot of variable regarding new deadlines which could differ entirely from the rest.
Maybe you have assigned a few new team members who aren’t well aware of how to handle themselves when the time comes? Maybe there is something particularly specific about this deadline which makes it different from the rest. Of course, this particular list could go on endlessly.
The important thing that you need to understand is that the typical deadline day for PMs shouldn’t look any different than any other day. That’s, of course, given the fact that he has done his job properly and has managed to navigate the workflow in a day that concludes the work at least a day or two before the deadline. This way you will have time to prepare for deployment, optimization and other important activities which are absolutely critical when the deadline day strikes.
However, this is one of the most dreaded days at the same time. The reason for this is always one and the same – poor planning. Most of the PMs fail to implement proper techniques and they are left with nothing but a pile of mess left for the deadline day. And, unfortunately, that’s how deadlines get stretched and the project keeps going on for days, weeks and in a lot of the situations – even months after everything has been scheduled. So, let’s take a look at the ways with which you can conveniently get rid of this particular hassle.
Below you will find preliminary methods of comprehensive project management which are going to ensure that your own deadline day looks exactly like all the rest. As a matter of fact, should you be able of implementing the below approaches, you will be capable of enjoying this otherwise tense day and celebrate a properly completed project. So, without any further ado, let’s take a look.
Two-way communication
The first thing that you need to take into account when it comes to meeting tight deadlines and avoiding the hassle that comes with them is transparent, comprehensive and effective two-way communication. You need to let your team know exactly what you are dealing with. However, this isn’t something that should be done post-factum. As a matter of fact, project managers are unlikely to be well aware of the specifications which come with deployment, execution, and development of the project and this is something that needs to be accounted for and communicated with the people who are actually involved in the work itself. Doing so in advance is absolutely necessary and mandatory if you are to ensure that everything is handled properly and as per the highest industry standards.
Task Breakdown
Once you have the overall scope of work, you need to start considering breaking down larger tasks into achievable focus groups. This is going to allow the team to properly lay their attention where it belongs. With all this in mind, you need to make sure that you create a proper schedule and develop great time-tracking mechanisms which are going to ensure that everything is handled as per the highest industry standards.
However, this is also something rather challenging. Even though the rewards might be particularly significant, it’s also important to understand that you need to account for a certain amount of time-related to the deployment and integration of the smaller tasks. You need to ensure that they lead to the completion of larger work chunks, hence ensuring a smooth transition and finalization of the process.
Multi-tasking or focusing?
This is something particularly important. This is an ever-present choice between project managers and being able to differentiate and handpick the proper approach in any given situation is absolutely critical. Let’s imagine the situation. You have one specialist which is particularly experienced and he’s capable of handling a lot of work in relatively short terms. You get assigned two different projects, both of which can use his expertise. What do you do?
Do you let him focus on one in order for him to finish it quickly or do you allocate his time equally between projects so they can run hand in hand? While it might seem like a good idea for you to do the latter and compensate with other experts, this is not always the best approach. If the former project requires a great deal of focus and concentration, dispersing the same towards other tasks could turn out to be particularly devastating for both projects. This is what you need to account for and this is what you need to do in order to ensure that you make the best decision.
Now, as you can see, there are quite a few things that you would want to take into proper consideration in order to be certain that your deadline day isn’t the dreaded and unpleasant occasion that it otherwise can be. Instead of being a part of the overall concept of PMs who are slacking and failing to implement smart approaches when it counts, be the change. This is something particularly important. A deadline day can’t be uniform. It’s going to go as smooth as you make it and it’s all up to you.
With all this in mind, you need to ensure that everything is handled as per the highest industry standards. Sure, there are certain things that you can’t account for but they are a part of every project and you can’t do something about it.
