Deadlines and drama

Across most occupations and industries at some point you will be faced with a project, task or assignment to be completed within a timeframe. From personal experience, I can tell you as the deadline approaches stress can saturate your body and even the simplest of tasks may become complicated. In my line of work, this may mean grammatical errors, missed references in reports or linking errors in financial models. It gets even harder when you need to prepare an in depth analysis and you have a clock ticking behind you. You don't want to be sweating yourself silly, so here are some ways to manage projects to make sure you reach your deadline with the highest quality of work.

Know what you know and what you don't
Before you dive headlong into your assignment, take a step back and assess what lies in front of you. Firstly, break down the tasks into smaller ones and identify the approach you want to take and most pertinently, how long it may take. Secondly, assess the areas in which you need help and seek it out immediately if you can. One way to make a serious dent to your limited time is to mull over an issue, only to seek out help anyway. Do not be too proud to ask for help, no one has all the answers.

One step at a time
Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed with the task at hand, especially when you realise how many different things you may need to do. While there may be many tasks in your peripheral vision, focus on the one in your hands at that moment. Too often, especially on large projects, you may find yourself drifting into ideas about another task. Stop. Start again and complete what you were doing. If you give it your full concentration it will be done as quick as possible and as best as possible. When it comes to the 'death overs' at the end, don't panic! By this stage the stakes are high, so it is even more important that you give your full concentration to the task and complete it with no fuss.

The pareto principle
When I was starting off as a graduate I was told of this golden principle, that the first 80% of your work takes 20% of your time and the last 20% of your work takes 80% of the time. While the percentages may not be exact, the essence of the rule remains valid. Do not underestimate how much time you will need at the back end of the project. In most instances, high quality work is a product of a rigorous review process so make sure a good chunk of time is set aside for this.

The buffer
Circumstances can change and new ones can arrive. Either way, you need to be flexible to adapt and need to plan for the unplanned. For example, if the client wants some extra work done, you will still need it completed along with anything else within deadline. So make sure that when you are estimating how long a task will take to complete time you leave some extra time. It will give you the opportunity to pounce on any surprises without compromising your deadlines or other tasks.

Delegate
While it may be tempting to keep control of all your work, when you have the opportunity, it is far more efficient to share the load. If you set the tone early and engage colleagues or juniors, it will reap benefits for you all the way through the project. For example, at the back end of the project when you may need additional help, it will be far more efficient to assign a task to someone who has a working knowledge of the project rather than spending time training someone who is yet to make any contributions. Furthermore, additional hands mean additional minds, and it can be an opportunity for someone to open your eyes to some new methodologies and practices. Finally, entrusting others will help camaraderie and create a positive work environment, which will have long term benefits for all.

Manage expectations
It is rare in the workplace to be dedicating your time to only one assignment at any point in time. The reality is that time is finite and it is inevitable that clashes regarding deadlines will occur, whether intra or inter-departmental. This is a difficult issue and requires setting achievable targets and more importantly, communicating them with clarity. If it is clear that you have been assigned a deadline which is untenable do not simply accept it, express this as soon as possible. It is important you provide reasons for rebuffing your duties and offer a solution to mitigate the situation. For example, you may organise another colleague to help you. Another avenue is to recalibrate your responsibilities by initiating a discussion to all the parties who have a vested interest in your deadlines and coming to a solution. To reiterate, do not simply accept a deadline you cannot meet. Admittedly, it takes courage to be able to express yourself to seniors but the alternative, overpromising and under-delivering is a path that you do not want to take.
I hope these pointers help out those who have deadlines ahead of them. It will almost always be stressful, but with preparation, planning and focusing on the task at hand, you can go a long way to minimise the pressure.

Naiian Yazdani is the Co-Founder and Director of GradInsights, the research service of GradConnect, and currently an MBA candidate at the University of Oxford. More articles from Naiian and the team can be found at www.grad-insights.com.