The Fire Drill: Plan a Project Properly. Please!
Usually people vastly underestimate the amount of time needed to implement projects. This is true particularly when they are not familiar with the task to be carried out…They forget to take into account unexpected events or unscheduled high priority work. People also often simply fail to allow for the full complexity involved with a job.
It is almost impossible for me to believe that there is anything more true than this in business. Except, perhaps, “if it can go wrong, it will” and “the company’s poor performance affected everyone’s bonus.”
When I am given a project, I tend to over plan…in other words, I start compiling information, identifying details and alerting team members months in advance. Missed deadlines are among my worst nightmares.
This system has often backfired on me…it seems that no matter how much time I allot, how many reminders go to certain people, how many times I ask “are you ok, will you be ready”? The end result is often the same…work is submitted late, incorrect and sometimes even downright messy.
It’s very disappointing.
If success can be measured in tangible increments, then the quality of one’s work must be one of the biggest things that managers look at. Learning to manage your time and therefore your projects, may just be the key to your success.
